Interface for Other Users

[jdb]

Novice Access user here.

I have a database that will require many hours to update the data. So, I
hired an intern to do it!

Here's my dilemna: I will put the database on a laptop with Access (no
network here) so he can work on it independently.

However, I worry that he will mess something up.

So, I want to just give them access to a form -- that's it. None of the
Access menus/controls across the top or left side, just the form.

Is there a way to set this up and maybe just have a shortcut ont he desktop
to the form and form only.

Thanks

 

[Dave F]

Well, you could use the database splitter to split the database structure
from the data.

 

[Ken Sheridan]

Joe:

The best solution would be to implement user and group security so that your
intern is denied permissions to amend anything other than the relevant data.
My guess is that you probably don't want to go to those lengths, however.

I'd suggest giving him a separate file with only the tables he needs and a
single form. That way you can import the data into your 'master' application
when necessary, either periodically or when the updating is complete. You
can make the form the opening form, hide the database window and disallow
built in menus from the Tools|Startup menu, but that can be relatively easily
subverted. You can prevent him bypassing the startup options by setting the
application's AllowByPassKey property to False, but you have to do that in
code, an example of which you'll find in VBA Help in Access. A reasonably
knowledgeable user could on again from outside the application, however.

One trick you could employ is to set the form's Modal and Popup properties
both to True (Yes in the form's properties sheet) and open the form
maximised. That way the form will completely fill the screen. Remove the
standard, close, minimize and maximize buttons from the form and add a Close
button which executes the following line of code in its Click event procedure:

DoCmd.Quit

to close down Access. To open the application you can put a shortcut to it
on the desktop.

Ken Sheridan
Stafford, England

 

[jdb]

Thanks so much, I will give those suggestions a try.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

You most certainly can, and should hide all of the ms-access interface. The
options to complete hide and keep people out of the ms-access interface can
easily be done using the tools->start-up options. Using those options allows
you to complete hide the ms-access interface (tool bars, database window
etc). Also, using these options means you
do not have to bother setting up security.

Try downloading and running the 3rd example at my following web site that
shows a hidden ms-access interface, and NO CODE is required to do
this....but just some settings in the start-up.

Check out:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/DownLoad.htm

After you try the application, you can exit, and then re-load the
application, but hold down the shift key to by-pass the start-up options. If
want, you can even disable the shift key by pass. I have a sample mdb file
that will let you "set" the shift key bypass on any application you want.
You can get this at:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/msaccess/msaccess.html