Ms-Access Vs Visual Basic

[solar]

Hi...

I need clarification in the below three question.

Can you please anybody clear my doubts ?

1. How can I make exe our Ms-Access project.

2. If i make exe, can i use in other sytem where they dont have
Ms-access...? or What is the alternative to run Ms-Access project in other
system where they dont have Ms-Access..? or Shall i run the file without
using exe, but using by start-up facility.?

3. Why the people not to use Ms-Access instead of Visual Basic...?

Please clarify the above doubts which would help me to proceed further.

Thanks in advance...

Solar.

 

[Vladimír Cvajniga]

1) No way.
2) At least, you must install MS Access runtime which is "free".
3) In MS Access you can develop an application much faster than in VB (good
form & report designer). OTOH, MS Access is much much more buggy than VB, so
that I'm surprised I'm using it... :-/

Vlado

 

[Vladimír Cvajniga]

MS Access runtime is "free" if you buy developer's extentions. It may differ
in various releases of MS Access.

V.

 

[solar]

Hi Vlado,

Thanks a lot for your answer.

As far as my 1st question, the answer is irrelavant. It may be for my 2nd
query. Can u pls.check once again & give me reply.?

And, How do i get Ms-Access runtime s/w ..?

Please let me know..

Thnx in advance...

Solar.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Hi...

I need clarification in the below three question.

Can you please anybody clear my doubts ?

1. How can I make exe our Ms-Access project.

No, you can't make a .exe. However, there is a developers edition of
ms-access that allows you deploy a ms-access "runtime".

Once the runtime is installed on the target machine, you an then copy/deploy
your mde on that machine. So, it is no where near a .exe, but you can
achieve a royally free distribution of your software.

2. If i make exe, can i use in other sytem where they dont have
Ms-access...? or What is the alternative to run Ms-Access project in other
system where they dont have Ms-Access..? or Shall i run the file without
using exe, but using by start-up facility.?

The "start-up" facially would achieve nothing here. However, as mentioned,
you can purchase a runtime system for ms-access. Note that for a2007, the
runtime system will be a free download.

3. Why the people not to use Ms-Access instead of Visual Basic...?

Well, actually a tremendous amount of people do use ms-access. Visual basic
6 was much better then ms-access in terms of distribution. With vb.net, you
have a incredible development environment, but you have to distribute the
..net runtime, and that runtime is almost as large as ms-access runtime.

Also, visual basic is better for many types of tasks. In the case of VB6, it
much better for things like games, and smaller stand alone programs that
don't need a database.

However, if you need something with reports, data management, then ms-access
is a good choice. it also depends on he size of the product and the number
of people working on the project. So, for building a larger complex
enterprise application, then the vb.net environment is far better then
ms-access.

Further, VB.net is a full object object environment, and again as the size
of the project grows, then the .net environment allows more developers to
work on the same project at the same time, and with a object orientated
approach, this facilitates larger development teams.

In some cases, it simply a case of what tools the developers knows (so, if
you know vb.net better...you more likely to development in .net then use
ms-access).

 

[Vladimír Cvajniga]

There's no way to make an exe in Access. As to developer extentions see
Albert's Kallal post below.

Vlado

 

[solar]

Hi Albert,

Thanks a lot for clear & good explanation.

But, is there anyway to get Ms-Access'2000 run-time free s/w from net as
"free" download...as i need to run my project in other system?

Please let me know...

Thnx..

Solar.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Actually, the Runtime for Access 2007 will be free once it's released:
http://blogs.msdn.com/clintcovingto...me-and-developer-extensions-will-be-free.aspx

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Unfortunately, Microsoft no longer sells the runtime for Access 2000 (that's
3 versions old, and it wasn't a particularly good version of Access anyhow).
And even when it was available, it wasn't free.

One possibility is to check out sites that specialize in old software
products, such as http://www.emsps.com/oldtools/ or
http://recycledsoftware.com/

Another is to look at someplace like eBay to see whether anyone's trying to
see their old versions (Note, though, that products purchased this way
aren't always legal...)

 

[David W. Fenton]

Unfortunately, Microsoft no longer sells the runtime for Access
2000 (that's 3 versions old, and it wasn't a particularly good
version of Access anyhow). And even when it was available, it
wasn't free.

Given that A2K is a native format for A2K3, why would anyone not
just get the A2K3 developer tools?

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

But, is there anyway to get Ms-Access'2000 run-time free s/w from net as

"free" download...as i need to run my project in other system?

The runtime, and packaging system was never free, and it not a free
download.

You have to purchase that system.

As far as I know, the a2003 is the last version available.

And, as mentioned, the packaging system, and runtime for a2007 will be a
free download.

 

[John W. Vinson]

I wonder if it will allow you to package and deploy an A2K-format
MDB?

Can't be sure until it comes out, but no previous version ever has done so:
you must convert an A2000 database to 2002/3 format before you can make a MDE
in 2002 or 2003, and and likewise before you can deploy it.

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Can't be sure until it comes out, but no previous version ever has done

so:
you must convert an A2000 database to 2002/3 format before you can make a
MDE
in 2002 or 2003, and and likewise before you can deploy it.

John W. Vinson [MVP]

Ah, yes....

However, if you have a2000 mde.

And, you have a2003 + a2003 developer extensions. You can use the package
wizard to deploy a a2000 mde with the a2003 package wizard.....

So, I guess the $100 question here is will the a2007 extensions or runtime
work without having a2007 installed?

In other words, right now, if I install the a2003 runtime on a target box, a
a2000 mde will run (this works...I done this before).

So, I don't see why the a2007 will not let me deploy a a2003-a2002 mde.(that
we don't know!!). With the new file extensions, this might be a limitation
(however, the a2003 pw did allow me to package an a2000 mde (I just can't
make the a2000 mde in a2003). So, if I make the a2000 mde in a2000, then I
could take that mde..and deploy it using a2003 pw.

So, will we be ale to deploy a2000 to a2003 mde with the a2007 pw? (I think
we will if past history remains in tact).

However, the $200 question is will we be able to use the a2007 runtime
WITHOUT having purchased a2007!!!...now that really is a big question!!!

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

I wonder if it will allow you to package and deploy an A2K-format

MDB?

I think you will be able to.....

See my response to John V.....

 

[solar]

Its great information.....

Thnx..a...lot..

solar.

 

[David W. Fenton]

Can't be sure until it comes out, but no previous version ever has
done so: you must convert an A2000 database to 2002/3 format
before you can make a MDE in 2002 or 2003, and and likewise before
you can deploy it.

Er, I didn't way anything about an MDE.

 

[David W. Fenton]

I'm getting a headache here! $64k question: Having a major app in
development in v2000, what is the best route to go for
distribution! Updating to v2003? v2007? Hate that idea; like to
wait a couple of years for any new M$ product, but I need to lok
ahead. And if I go the old software route, what is the exact name
for the software I need to distribute v2000 MDEs? I seem to
remember the name changes from version to version.

If I were doing runtime apps, I'd be doing the databases in A2K
format and packaging them with A2K3, *unless* I had an app where
things like the printer object (introduced in A2K2) were very
useful.

 

[John W. Vinson]

I'm getting a headache here! $64k question: Having a major app in development
in v2000, what is the best route to go for distribution! Updating to v2003?
v2007? Hate that idea; like to wait a couple of years for any new M$ product,
but I need to lok ahead. And if I go the old software route, what is the
exact name for the software I need to distribute v2000 MDEs? I seem to
remember the name changes from version to version.

There's a comprehensive list at Tony Toews' FAQ:

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/developereditionversions.htm

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[John W. Vinson]

Thanks to both of you for the advice and link!

Always glad to provide a link to a linq!

John W. Vinson [MVP]