Developer Extensions and the Product Code (2007)

B

BG Lad

I am currently using the Developer Extensions and Access 2007.
I would like to know how to generate a new 'Product Code' so that it is
useable by the registry AND so that I can hopefully have the install
setup.exe handle upgrades as in; remove the previous version automatically.
Bill
 
A

Albert D. Kallal

BG Lad said:
I am currently using the Developer Extensions and Access 2007.
I would like to know how to generate a new 'Product Code' so that it is
useable by the registry AND so that I can hopefully have the install
setup.exe handle upgrades as in; remove the previous version
automatically.
Bill

Unfortunately the package wizard does not really allow for very seamless
upgrades. The first question you have to answer here is have you split your
database? if you don't split your database, that makes it pretty much next
to impossible to offer upgrades to your users, because the data part and the
application part are one and the same. in this case it means that deploying
your application again who would actually overwrite your existing data, and
I think they could have some very serious ramifications for your customer
base.

I would suggest is that you simply install the runtime separately. At that
point then you can distribute your front end part to all your users,
including those users that happen to have the full version of MS access.

Keep in mind there is no special connection between the developer
extensions, and your application you developed. In other words, once that
target computer has the runtime (or full version) of access, then any
access application you copy to the target computer will simply launch when
double clicked on. (This includes the runtime system having been installed).
so in effect, you don't really install your software on the target computer,
you simply copy your front end to that computer **after** the runtime been
installed.

At the end of the day, it's likely a very good thing that the package wizard
makes it VERY difficult to overwrite your target files. I suspect we would
have a Endless supply of posts and people here in which some user
accidentally ran the install package a week after entering a bunch of data,
and thus there data would be overwritten. I simply can't stress the amount
of extreme caution that has to be taken in this regards when you're updating
clients data files (or in fact trying to avoid the updating of their data
files is more specific of the issue we're looking at here ).

So keep in mind that once the runtime system is installed, then your
software updates are just a simple file copy. You can simply e-mail them a
new front end, or just copy it to their comptuers for them.

You could probably spend some time and play around with the package wizard
and cajole it into being able to overwrite these files, but I really don't
think it is worth your time. For the most part when you try to update it, it
does ask you to uninstall the old version. I think this just opens up too
many potential problems for deleting or damaging your clients data files.

I think it far simpler to use somthing like WinZip and send them the new
program part and avoid the package wizard all but for the very first
install.
 
B

BG Lad

Great one Albert. The DB is aready split.
The next question is: I am still using the .MDB format. Can I just generate
my own .accdr type file from inside 2007?
Bill
 
A

Albert D. Kallal

BG Lad said:
Great one Albert. The DB is aready split.
The next question is: I am still using the .MDB format. Can I just
generate
my own .accdr type file from inside 2007?
Bill


You simply have to convert your mdb to access 2007 format first. then you
should at that point, convert your accDB to an accDE.

At that point you could if you wish rename the accDE to an accDR you can.
However, this step is really not necessary to unless you're not setting up a
user shortcut to your application to be launched. In other words if the user
has the full edition of access installed, then it's probably a good idea to
send them that accDE renamed as a accDR. (unless you're using some type of
system to provide a shortcut to your application, and all of which be using
that shortcut).

So, if the user has the runtime installed on the computer, renaming the file
to accDR extension is not necessary, and will not produce any different
results when the application is double clicked on to be launched.

However if there is the possibility that the user all have the full edition
of MS access, **and also** there's also the possibility that the user will
be double clikcing on the front end file you send them, then then yes you
should rename the file.

However your development practices should be such that when a user deploys
the application to the full addition, or the runtime addition, they really
don't see anything different in terms of the user interface presented to
them. this pretty much means you'll have set up the startup to enabled
custom forms and custom reddens from the very beginning of the application
when it's launched.

Of course, during development, you will hold down the shift key so your
startup settings dont run. You then develop for awhile, and then to test in
"user" mode, you exit..and then re-enter the application without the shift
key bypassed. You will likely do this dance all day long as you run/test as
user mode, and then flip back in to developer mode (shift key used..so you
dont get the main custom menus). So, you cant develop, or really modify
things when you run your application with the startup settings...so you must
shift-by-pass them when you want to work.

And, in fact, I use alt-f4 to exit the application...the mdb/accDB file
should still be highlighted in the windows explore..so, then you hit enter
key (and, hold down shift key if you need be). This key stroke sequence and
exiting and re-entering the application will occur CONSTANTLY all day long
when you are developing.

When you finally have things just right...you create the mde (or accDE)
you plan to distribute for your users...
 
B

BG Lad

Great tip on the altF4 Albert. I do almost everything from the keyboard so
that was not news to me ... but others might try it.

I assume I can leave the BE Data file as MDB type?

Other than that I believe I am on my way.
Thanks to you and your most valiant crew!
Bill
 
H

hor vannara

BG Lad said:
I am currently using the Developer Extensions and Access 2007.
I would like to know how to generate a new 'Product Code' so that it is
useable by the registry AND so that I can hopefully have the install
setup.exe handle upgrades as in; remove the previous version
automatically.
Bill
 
T

Tony Toews [MVP]

BG Lad said:
Sorry, didn't get anything ... ??

Hot vannara has responded to a number of postings by just replying
with no text other than the previous posting.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
 
B

BG Lad

Thanks Tony, kind of what I thought ...

So in finishing, I'm wondering if it is OK to leave the (split-off data only
part) Back End database as type .MDB?
 
A

Albert D. Kallal

BG Lad said:
Thanks Tony, kind of what I thought ...

So in finishing, I'm wondering if it is OK to leave the (split-off data
only
part) Back End database as type .MDB?

It just fine to leave it as a mdb.

As a general rule for all of my back end databases, I do setup an autoexec
macro that gives the user a msgbox much like:

msgbox "You do not have permission to open this file",vbCritical,"System"

Note that with the vbCritical setting the msgbox looks exactly like a
windows system error message box. Right after the above msgbox, I then
executed application quit which shuts down MS access. So, for the most part
this does a pretty good job of of keeping users out of directly opening up
the backend file....
 
B

BG Lad

Thanks Albert, I'll do that.

I do have one strange thing, after exporting the front end to the .accdb
format and renaming it to .accdr, when I run it against the very same back
end I get errors "Type Mismatch" and "Object variable or With block not set".
The .MDB front end work fine, any ideas on how to get to it?
Bill
 

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