Question Help needed. Best way to link access with out acess installed on a computer.

[GODZILLA]

Hello,

Sorry for the some what ambigous title. What i am trying to do is design a way for users to add data and compare records (with my acess 2007 database) without having Access installed on thier base units.

What are my options?

Is it possible to build an application in VB that can interact with the database? If so any idea how? Can i publihs a form as an application?

I have throught about building something in ASP but im not too well versed in ASP/AJAX.

I need around 30 users to use the application. As you can guess the cost of rolling out Access to 30 units is too expensive.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated or if someone can just point me in the right direction that would be great too.

Thanks

 

[Dairy Farmer]

You need Access 2007 Runtimes and Access Developer. Both are free from Microsoft.

Open Access 2007
Goto Access Help
Type "Introduction to the Access 2007 Developer Extensions and Runtime" into the search box and press enter.

 

[ghudson]

Do you have SharePoint? Then you could create a SharePoint list and link you database to that list.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

you can use VB

but it will definitely be harder to use VB, than to use Access

 

[GODZILLA]

You need Access 2007 Runtimes and Access Developer. Both are free from Microsoft.

Open Access 2007
Goto Access Help
Type "Introduction to the Access 2007 Developer Extensions and Runtime" into the search box and press enter.

This is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!

You are a life saver!

 

[GODZILLA]

If i create an application does it link in to the orginal database?

If some appends data to the application will it update the main databse?

Or is it read only?

Thanks

 

[gemma-the-husky]

if you use VB, and link to the dbs tables, it will be read/write

but if you are using VB you ought to know this, and know the techniques to use. It isn't as easy as using access.

 

[GODZILLA]

Right.

I cant thank you enough for the suggestion of the developer extentions/runtime. This is exactly what i was looking for.

I am posting this for anyone who might have a similar query in the future.

What i have done is installed the developer ext and runtime.

Then created a copy of the database i want to publish with linked tables and all other objects copied. Then published this.

What im left with is an application that looks at the tables i currently have and runs from that. I also needed to append data using a recordset and this worked fine. Top bananna!

Thanks

 

[Dairy Farmer]

Last thing to do is to create a "relink to backend" button for your app. That way is, for any reason the path to the BE changes, the user can easily relink.

 

[GODZILLA]

Last thing to do is to create a "relink to backend" button for your app. That way is, for any reason the path to the BE changes, the user can easily relink.

Good idea! Thanks