how do data access pages work

[StuJol]

ive been using access 2003 for almost 2 years now but ive never looked into
data access pages until now. i have a test database with a customers address
book in, i created a data access page using the wizard, saved it to my
website directory on my local computer then i downloaded the data access page
using Frontpage to my server.

Using my internet explorer i went onto my website and i was able to view all
the records in the customers address book table. i added a few records and
saved them. i then went back to my access2003 databse and opened the
custoemrs address book table and to my supprise the new records were in their
that i saved via the website. Truely brilliant stuff but how does it all work?

even with my access2003 database closed, the records added via the internet
stil lappear in my table when opened. can someone explain or point me in the
direction of some good text how all this works.

if i were to upload a access 2003 database onto my server would it still
work rather then the database being on my computer

 

[Sylvain Lafontaine]

Each Access database (or MDB file) can be viewed as constitued of two parts:
the FrontEnd (forms, reports, module, queries, etc.) and the Backend
(tables, relationships and data).

It's quite easy to edit the data using any ODBC or OLEDB drivers for JET
when working on the local machine or over the LAN; however, it's not so
funny when you try to go over the furll Internet (or WAN) instead of just
the local LAN.

Even if the pages have been served by the web server, they are running
inside your IE and are accessing the database located on your local machine;
so it wouldn't make any difference if you would have simply stored on your
local hard drive and opened them from there.

Moreover, even if they seems quite easy to work with, this is only the first
impression. If you try to do anything with them that's anything but basic,
you will start a journey full of difficulties, frustration and paved with
bugs.

My advice: forget about DAP and use something else, like ASP.NET, if you
want to edit a database over the Internet from a web server.