How to Distribute a New Version

  • Thread starter Thread starter S. Jackson
  • Start date Start date
S

S. Jackson

How do you developers distribute a new improved copy of a database that has
already gone out to the user?

I have sent out individual copies of my database across the agency for users
to tryout before we centralize it and begin networking it (this will be much
further down the road). Since then, I have made several design changes to
the tables and many changes to the FE and I want the users them out. Most
of the users are not trained and need a lot of hand-holding. Also, they are
spread out across the state so I do not have access to their pc's.

Do I send complicated instructions for them to import all their old tables
into the new db, and run append queries?

Any suggestions are most welcome.
S. Jackson
 
S. Jackson said:
How do you developers distribute a new improved copy of a database that has
already gone out to the user?

I have sent out individual copies of my database across the agency for users
to tryout before we centralize it and begin networking it (this will be much
further down the road). Since then, I have made several design changes to
the tables and many changes to the FE and I want the users them out. Most
of the users are not trained and need a lot of hand-holding. Also, they are
spread out across the state so I do not have access to their pc's.

Do I send complicated instructions for them to import all their old tables
into the new db, and run append queries?
Click to expand...

What I do...

Split application so that changes to the front end are simply a matter of
replacing the file. Front end has a "first time run" routine that
establishes the links to the back end file automatically when first run.

If the new revision also involves changes to the back end file (tables),
then I will do one of two things depending on which is deemed less work or
more reliable for the circumstances.

1)
My "first time run" code described above will apply all of the changes to
the back end file. This might be the creation of new tables, or the
modification of an existing table by adding/changing a field.

2)
When the back end changes are significant I might distribute a blank
template file for the new back end and have my "first time run" routine
link to the new file and then import all of the data from the old one.
 
Yikes! I can't write the kind of code that you are talking about that will
go out and import data from the back-end. I do not have the expertise or
training, unfortunately. (Just an FYI: I do have the db split already and
yes it will be easy for them to replace the FE file.) The agency stuck me
with doing this project even though I am a legal assistant, not a database
developer! I've been floundering around ever since.

Looks like I am stuck spending hours on the phone doing it the hard way
having users import tables, do append queries to add the data to the new
tables and then deleting the old tables. This is the only way I can see how
to do this (I'm ignorant!).

S. Jackson
 
Hi Shelly,

<<Yikes! I can't write the kind of code that you are talking about that will
go out and import data from the back-end.>>

It's not as daunting as it seems!

Look at the TransferDatabase method in the Help file.

It only takes one line of code for each table and each line of code is the same
except for the names of the tables.

Go for it and earn another merit award!

Steve
 
Shelly,

If your project is still in the User Testing, I would not worry too much
about preserving the test data that your users have already entered.
Hopefully, you will not have a user that has entered the entire case load at
their location! Most likely, you will probably have most users entering
one, two or a few records and a couple of users that have not entered
anything.

Based on prior threads, the changes that you have made to the application
would almost mandate that users test new case entry all over again. You
might want to send each user a brief document explaining that you have made
many optimizations to how the data is stored (which will be invisible to the
users) in addition to the visible changes to forms and reports. Because of
these changes, you are asking users to enter a couple of new cases, run
queries, run reports, etc., and return their comments.
 
But, but, but . . . . (grin)

Maybe I can't see the forest for the trees:

The TransferDatabase Method allows you to import tables with structure only
or structure and data. What it does not do is import just the data - that's
what I want to do isn't it - import the data from the user's old copy into
the new db?

Shelly
 
Thanks Cheryl. Unfortunately, I think I heard from at least one user that
has entered their entire case load - ugh . .

I think I will do an email and do a poll on how much data has been entered
and go from there.
Thanks.
 
Shelly,

You would do his:

DoCmd.TransferDatabase ...... 'to import a table
<<Run append query to append data from imported table>>
CurrentDb.TableDefs.Delete ("NameOfImportedTable")

Steve
 
Back
Top