Pointing to a pointer to an .mdb

[H. Martins]

I have a database called xpto.mdb

Several users run it simultaneously without a problem: \
\computername_name\dir\xpto.mdb.

The problem is that, as version change (minor changes), I will have
xpto-v1.mdb, xpto-v2.mdb, etc.

Of course the data is in a different place.

I had an idea to force users to move to new .mdb(engine) version every
time they exit access.

I created a batch file pointing to the last .mdb version and a
shortcut to the batch file. Users run the shortcut, the shortcut calls
the .bat file, the btch file runs the .mdb file, access starts and it
goes(?) well.

If there is a new .mdb version I edit the batch file to point to the
last version and place the new .mdb near the old one.

Trouble:

1 - I suppose I can't access data from two different .mdb files
(engine with just minor improvements). Again data in in a different
place (linked tables).

2 - Anyway, even without a new version, the batch opens the command
window but access does not start after the first guy has opened
the .mdb. It goes OK if the shortcut points directly to the .mdb, but
not through the .bat file.

.... I can't find a way to make a shortcut point to another shortcut
(this last one could replace the batch file).

Any comment will be appreciated.

Thanks
H. Martins

 

[OldPro]

I have a database called xpto.mdb

Several users run it simultaneously without a problem: \
\computername_name\dir\xpto.mdb.

The problem is that, as version change (minor changes), I will have
xpto-v1.mdb, xpto-v2.mdb, etc.

Of course the data is in a different place.

I had an idea to force users to move to new .mdb(engine) version every
time they exit access.

I created a batch file pointing to the last .mdb version and a
shortcut to the batch file. Users run the shortcut, the shortcut calls
the .bat file, the btch file runs the .mdb file, access starts and it
goes(?) well.

If there is a new .mdb version I edit the batch file to point to the
last version and place the new .mdb near the old one.

Trouble:

1 - I suppose I can't access data from two different .mdb files
(engine with just minor improvements). Again data in in a different
place (linked tables).

2 - Anyway, even without a new version, the batch opens the command
window but access does not start after the first guy has opened
the .mdb. It goes OK if the shortcut points directly to the .mdb, but
not through the .bat file.

... I can't find a way to make a shortcut point to another shortcut
(this last one could replace the batch file).

Any comment will be appreciated.

Thanks
H. Martins

I found a different way to do it. I didn't want to replace their
current database, which is full of valid data, with a new database
that isn't. So I added a routine in Access that on startup checks for
updates. If it finds one, it runs it and closes itself. The update
is not a full version of access, but merely has the updated forms,
reports, queries, and modules. When the update is run, it deletes the
old objects in the current database and then exports the new objects.
One of those new objects is a table that contains modifications to
existing tables. When the update is done exporting objects to the
current database, it opens the current database and closes itself.
When the current database opens, it checks for an update flag ( a
field in a revision table will do), and if it finds it, then it
proceeds to make the changes to the database structure outlined in the
modification table. Once it is done, it turns the flag off.