Distributing updated front-ends?

[CW]

I have just got round to splitting.
What is the most efficient way of distributing updated front-ends to the
users?
We have only a few users but the scope of the mdb is being expanded
constantly, with new forms, controls, queries etc being added from week to
week, and I can see the updating being quite a time-consuming chore (and an
opportunity for error)unless there is some slick way that I do not know about.
Your suggestions, please!
Many thanks
CW

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

http://www.autofeupdater.com/

 

[GBA]

well - it sort of depends on your organization.

of course you can go around to each PC and install it.

one simple way is to put that FE (linked correctly to the BE) into a common
folder - - and then broadcast out to everyone to download it themselves ;
the linking path will remain valid - - - and if you set everyone up initially
with a uniform location ...like the DB forlder on the C: - - - then your
instructions to everyone is simple and uniform too.

if each PC has a shared folder that you can see on your network - then you
yourself could copy/paste into everyone's folder

then there is the more sexy, but more complicated approach that will auto
check if there is a new version - and then download it:

http://www.autofeupdater.com/

hope this helps....

 

[De Jager]

I have just got round to splitting.
What is the most efficient way of distributing updated front-ends to the
users?
We have only a few users but the scope of the mdb is being expanded
constantly, with new forms, controls, queries etc being added from week to
week, and I can see the updating being quite a time-consuming chore (and
an
opportunity for error)unless there is some slick way that I do not know
about.
Your suggestions, please!
Many thanks
CW

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

well - it sort of depends on your organization.

of course you can go around to each PC and install it.

one simple way is to put that FE (linked correctly to the BE) into a common
folder - - and then broadcast out to everyone to download it themselves ;
the linking path will remain valid - - - and if you set everyone up initially
with a uniform location ...like the DB forlder on the C: - - - then your
instructions to everyone is simple and uniform too.

if each PC has a shared folder that you can see on your network - then you
yourself could copy/paste into everyone's folder

then there is the more sexy, but more complicated approach that will auto
check if there is a new version - and then download it:

http://www.autofeupdater.com/

I respectfully disagree that the Auto FE Updater is more complicated.
<smile>

I've gone to great lengths to make the utility very easy to use for
both the developer and the user. I've added a Wizard to get the
first time developer using the utility with the basics in a minute or
two.

And there's nothing easier than the developer clicking on a button in
the utility and the Auto FE Updater creates an email to the user which
has an embedded hyperlink. The user then clicks on the hyperlink and
the Auto FE Updater makes the local folders, copies down the latest FE
and associated files, creates the shortcuts, sets the trusted location
if desired, and starts the app.

From then on all the user needs to do is click on the shortcut on the
desktop, Quick Launch or Program Files menu item. And the utility
will, if required, automatically copy down the new FE and start up the
app.

Contrast that to spending minutes on the phone explaining to users how
to navigate server shares and click here and click there to get the
app going. And what about updates?

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/

 

[David C. Holley]

I went with a VBScript that copies the most recent front-end from the server
to the users machine and then starts Access thus ensuring that they are
always using the most recent version.