Dear gods of the Database, forgive me for I have sinned.. (sort of). I have just read the "Ten Commandments of Access Database Programming" and I have failed on some, but not all, but will do my best to heed the commandments in future.
I have been working in a very small primary school for 14 years and as a favour many years ago began a small Access database to keep track of the pupils with particular interest in the ones with special needs. (The school is strong in terms of helping many such children.). The program has grown over the years and now the Special Education Needs department are very reliant on the database/software which I have developed slowly as needed over the years. I have been lax on things like splitting the database, which I will do now, but I would also like to lock it down so that only I can amend it. My Access skills are minimal.
I have been researching and have a number of questions I would love some advice on, that would not entail very complicated changes, if possible.
Originally, the database was written for one Teacher, but gradually more and more Special Needs teachers began to use it and they need to be able to access it from any one of about 40 computers as they move around the school.
Currently there are shortcuts on the computers to the one .mdb file on the server. It seems to work that multiple users can access the database and update as necessary (currently it’s data and code in the one .mdb file.
Firstly I need to upgrade to accdb.
Secondly, I should split the data and code. I am able to do that and have done so in the past and I am sure this will work well.
Thirdly, I would like to lock down the code/forms/queries so that only I can modify the software. I have read that the database can be "deployed" so that it can be installed on computers that do not have MS Access. I do not need this option as all of the computers in the school have MS Access, so I think I need to compile it. I read on the Microsoft support forum that creating an accde file would protect the code, but when I did this, I could still modify the code.
I followed instructions for compiling using some software called "inno setup" which I installed and which seemed to work and compiled. This created a file called also called .accde.
My questions are firstly, am I on the right track?
Secondly, with a front and back end, do I have to install the front end on every computer which is going to use the database? This could mean 40 computers. This means also that for every modification I have to update 40 computers with the new code. This is very labour intensive. Is there any reason why they can’t all log into the same front end which will be located on the server? There will never be more than about 5 people accessing the database at one time, but they do need the ability to do so from any one of the 40 computers.
I hope I have covered everything, apologies for length of post.
Thank you.
[FONT="]Laura[/FONT]
I have been working in a very small primary school for 14 years and as a favour many years ago began a small Access database to keep track of the pupils with particular interest in the ones with special needs. (The school is strong in terms of helping many such children.). The program has grown over the years and now the Special Education Needs department are very reliant on the database/software which I have developed slowly as needed over the years. I have been lax on things like splitting the database, which I will do now, but I would also like to lock it down so that only I can amend it. My Access skills are minimal.
I have been researching and have a number of questions I would love some advice on, that would not entail very complicated changes, if possible.
Originally, the database was written for one Teacher, but gradually more and more Special Needs teachers began to use it and they need to be able to access it from any one of about 40 computers as they move around the school.
Currently there are shortcuts on the computers to the one .mdb file on the server. It seems to work that multiple users can access the database and update as necessary (currently it’s data and code in the one .mdb file.
Firstly I need to upgrade to accdb.
Secondly, I should split the data and code. I am able to do that and have done so in the past and I am sure this will work well.
Thirdly, I would like to lock down the code/forms/queries so that only I can modify the software. I have read that the database can be "deployed" so that it can be installed on computers that do not have MS Access. I do not need this option as all of the computers in the school have MS Access, so I think I need to compile it. I read on the Microsoft support forum that creating an accde file would protect the code, but when I did this, I could still modify the code.
I followed instructions for compiling using some software called "inno setup" which I installed and which seemed to work and compiled. This created a file called also called .accde.
My questions are firstly, am I on the right track?
Secondly, with a front and back end, do I have to install the front end on every computer which is going to use the database? This could mean 40 computers. This means also that for every modification I have to update 40 computers with the new code. This is very labour intensive. Is there any reason why they can’t all log into the same front end which will be located on the server? There will never be more than about 5 people accessing the database at one time, but they do need the ability to do so from any one of the 40 computers.
I hope I have covered everything, apologies for length of post.
Thank you.
[FONT="]Laura[/FONT]