Shortcut questions

[Junior]

I'm working with an install program to make my secure mde into a self
extracting set up executible. Have muddled through most of the hurdles but
having a problem with the shortcut that opens the secure mde.
I decided to put the mde in a subfolder in Program Files as most programs
do.. The install creates a shortcut on the desktop (see below path) but
Access reads this as program.mdb and errors.
If i shouldn't put the mde in Program Files, what is the proper way to
distrubute an mde? Thanks
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" C:\Program
Files\HRData\Checkit\Checkit.mde /user Checkituser /wrkgrp C:\Program
Files\HRData\HRDataWGrp.MDW

 

[TC]

What do you mean, "Access reads this as program.mdb and errors"?

The MDE and workgroup files can go wherever you want them to. The shorcut
simply says where they are. Your shortcut looks ok to me. (But note, it is
usually a good idea to enclose all paths in double-quotes. This prevents any
problems occurring when the path contains any spaces. You have done this
with the path to MSACCESS.EXE, but not with the path to the MDB, or MDW.)

HTH,
TC

 

[Lance]

Hi,

What installation program are you using? What I do is
default the installation somewhere (what your using is
fine) and give the user an option to choose a different
directory to install the program (mde) should they
desire. Some users will not like being forced to install
in a certain location, however, if you're in a corporate
environment you may not want to give them that option.

If your database is multi-user you will want to give them
the option to select another directory to install the
security database and backend database so they can be
shared. The installation icon can be created based on the
parameters they choose.

I also write the location they selected to install the
frontend mde, backend mdb and mdw to the registry so the
frontend can link to the backend without user
intervention. Likewise, when updates are distributed I
know where to install the front end and when the user
opens the program it will automatically check to see if
the backend is linked. If the link is invalid then it
will automatically link to the backed as found in the
registry. I do provide a way to manually select and link
to a database as well in case the backend get moved. As
an added precaution, I write the location of the backend
to the registry everytime the front end successfully links
to the backend database.

hth,
Lance

-----Original Message-----
I'm working with an install program to make my secure mde into a self
extracting set up executible. Have muddled through most of the hurdles but
having a problem with the shortcut that opens the secure mde.
I decided to put the mde in a subfolder in Program Files as most programs
do.. The install creates a shortcut on the desktop (see below path) but
Access reads this as program.mdb and errors.
If i shouldn't put the mde in Program Files, what is the proper way to
distrubute an mde? Thanks
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" C:\Program
Files\HRData\Checkit\Checkit.mde /user

Checkituser /wrkgrp C:\Program

 

[Junior]

Thanks TC - Sorry to dela in getting back - the missing double quotes were
the problem because the paths included
'Program Files' i.e. a space in the name - and Access apparently interpreted
that as Program.mdb
It is working now - thanks for the response.

 

[Junior]

Lance - thanks for the advice- learning more daily
My syntax in the shortcut path was missing some double quotes-it is fixed.
I'm using a German install program Z-up maker - inexpensive
This particular mde is NOT multiuser or split and installs on a single PC
per location and i don't want to give the user the option to choose
directories.
However, am interested in learning more about how you setup for
multiuser/split mdb
is it possible to see a sample or code snippets?
thanks again
Junior

 

[Lance]

Junior,

My installs are using Wise installation standard version
9. You would need wise to view the installation details.
The registry functions for the installs and updates are
handled in wise. The linked table functions I use are
modified from the security faq and the vba registry
functions I use are from the access developers handbook.

The important thing to remember is when you have a multi-
user database you have to to have a way to remember where
the links were because when you update the frontend the
links will be invalid unless of course you force them to
install the frontend and backend in a specific directory
and you work on the development database in the same
directory on your machine. You can use the registry or an
inf file to hold this information.

Even if you are only distributing a single user database
that is going to be installed on one machine you should
split the frontend and backend because if your program has
a bug or you make some enhancements you can then just
replace the frontend. If you need to add tables or fields
to the backend you can do this easy enough from the front
end utilizing startup routines.

Another thing to watch out for is Access is notorious for
causing problems when other version of Access are already
installed. If you can require them to have your version
of Access that would be the easiest. If your installing
the runtime you should look into sagekey install scripts
which I can verify are very good and easy to use, however,
you may need Wise or Install Shield to run them.

Lance

 

[cafe]

Well done.

If you're reading this, though, be aware that it was Windows (not Access)
that interpreted the space that way.

Say you entered:
AAA.EXE BBB CCC

Windows will interpret that as: "run program AAA, passing two parameters:
'BBB' and (seperately) 'CCC' ".

Whereas this:
AAA.EXE "BBB CCC"

will be interpreted as: "run program AAA, passing one parameter: 'BBB CCC'
".

Those interpreteations are made by Windows, before program AAA has even been
started.

HTH,
TC

 

[Junior]

Lance - thanks for your help

Junior,

My installs are using Wise installation standard version
9. You would need wise to view the installation details.
The registry functions for the installs and updates are
handled in wise. The linked table functions I use are
modified from the security faq and the vba registry
functions I use are from the access developers handbook.

The important thing to remember is when you have a multi-
user database you have to to have a way to remember where
the links were because when you update the frontend the
links will be invalid unless of course you force them to
install the frontend and backend in a specific directory
and you work on the development database in the same
directory on your machine. You can use the registry or an
inf file to hold this information.

Even if you are only distributing a single user database
that is going to be installed on one machine you should
split the frontend and backend because if your program has
a bug or you make some enhancements you can then just
replace the frontend. If you need to add tables or fields
to the backend you can do this easy enough from the front
end utilizing startup routines.

Another thing to watch out for is Access is notorious for
causing problems when other version of Access are already
installed. If you can require them to have your version
of Access that would be the easiest. If your installing
the runtime you should look into sagekey install scripts
which I can verify are very good and easy to use, however,
you may need Wise or Install Shield to run them.

Lance