Access ODBC Driver for MDE

[MBoozer]

When you convert your app to an MDE, is there a special ODBC driver that is
needed for the Internet Information Server. When you look at the
administrative tools in control panel and look at the ODBC drivers, it says
ODBC driver for Access.mdb. Since you are converting to an MDE file, do you
need an Access.MDE ODBC driver or does the one for .mdb work?

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

And if you go to France or Germany, it says something else again.

But it doesn't actually use Access, and it doesn't care what the
file extension is :~)

However, we wonder why you are converting a data file to an mde?

Converting an Access database strips out the text version of any
VBA code you may have written, and locks the Forms and Reports.
It does not do anything at all to the data in your tables.

You normally would not have any forms or reports in an ODBC data
source.

(david)

 

[MBoozer]

Thanks Dave. I want the MDE because we are going to be selling the database
and don't want the users to be able to see the code or more importantly, be
able to corrupt the code.

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

But why is there any code at all in a database with data in it?

At best that means you can't sell them an update without overwriting the
data.

We distribute MDE files, but all of the data is in a separate linked MDB (or
SQL Server).

(david)

 

[MBoozer]

The app is for them to enter their "own" data. I figured in the future we
could offer an update as an MDE in whihc they would have to import the tables
or we could write a script that would do that?

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

Normally people distribute as two files: an MDE (which can be
placed on each workstation) and a linked MDB (which can be
placed on the network server). It's not the only way to do
it, but you need to think about what you are doing if you are
going to strike out on your own with your own approach :~)

If this is a small, non-networked, single-user application
then yes, distributing a single file now is a good idea, and
later you can provide upgrades by including a script to import
all the data.

(david)

 

[MBoozer]

Thanks Dave. I agree. But my distribution will be for network application
which means I should do be-fe. However, if I distribute as be-fe, then he
user has to do table linking and I'm not sure how that is done.

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

user has to do table linking and I'm not sure how that is done.

Here are some examples:

How to relink back-end tables with the common dialog control in Access 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=209862

Relink Access tables from code
http://www.mvps.org/access/tables/tbl0009.htm