replacing a form

  • Thread starter Thread starter JulieD
  • Start date Start date
J

JulieD

hi all

i have a database that is split and i need to update 1 form in the frontend
(one line of code only!!!) and i would like to make this change without
requiring the users to download & install a whole new front end - any ideas?

unfortunately they can't get to "file / get external data / import" (nor
much else other than the switchboard etc) so i guess what i'm looking for is
maybe a VB / VBA solution that can replace the form or edit the code without
them having to do very much.

Cheers
JulieD
 
You should do a little research and set up a way for them to be notified
when a new version exists. I created a batch file they can run that
replaces their local copy with the newer version on the LAN. To notify
them, I created two tables. One on the local copy called "LocalVersion" and
one on the data (back end database) called "Software Version". Each table
has only one field. A date. When they open the database, it compares the
master version date with the date on their copy. If they do not match, it
launches my batch file and closes the database. They press enter to
continue the batch file, and the local copy is updated. It all takes about
6 seconds.

There is no way for you to make changes to their copies on their drives.
Forcing them to go in and update a particular object each time you make a
change would be a major ahssle. Just have them copy over thier local file
with your revised file. Whether you make them do this manually, or automate
the process is up to you.

Rick B


hi all

i have a database that is split and i need to update 1 form in the frontend
(one line of code only!!!) and i would like to make this change without
requiring the users to download & install a whole new front end - any ideas?

unfortunately they can't get to "file / get external data / import" (nor
much else other than the switchboard etc) so i guess what i'm looking for is
maybe a VB / VBA solution that can replace the form or edit the code without
them having to do very much.

Cheers
JulieD
 
Julie,

Using a File|Import solution may confuse your users more in that when they
import the form (call it frmCust, as an example), it is going to be
imported as frmCust1 because they already have a frmCust. Possible
solutions include:

MVP Tony Toews' AutoFE Updater (http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm)
will update your users automatically.

Or, put your updated FE in a folder on a drive that all users can get to and
teach them how to copy a file in Explorer.

Or, a sneaky way of doing updates (works only on Windows 2000 servers, I
think, where the network admins have created a share for each computer) is
to put the following in (Start | Run)

\\Cheryl\c$

where Cheryl is the name of the share. You get an explorer window to the
user's hard drive and you can copy the update to them. Of course, they
cannot be in the database when you do that and you have to have
Administrator rights.
 
Hi Rick

the problem is that the users are scattered all over the country with no
central database ... the backend resides in some locations on the same
machine as the front end and in other locations on a server. The individual
databases are "combined" through the use of export to excel functionality &
emailing into a central database about every 6 months (the users only ever
need their data and not anyone elses).

my only way of updating their front ends is notification via email & then
they d/l the new version off the web. As this is a very small change i am
trying to avoid the angst that this process causes some of the users and we
are also making "major" changes in the next few weeks that will require them
to d/l a new front end but this is a much needed / urgent change and i'm
trying to find an alternative way to approach it (much like a "patch" as
opposed to a new version!).

Any other ideas
Cheers
JulieD


"Rick B"
 
Gotcha. I do not know of any way to do this. To ease the dowload process,
you could create a self-extracting zip or a batch file that will do s few of
the steps for them, but probably not worth the effort in this instance.

Sory I don't have a better solution.

Rick
Hi Rick

the problem is that the users are scattered all over the country with no
central database ... the backend resides in some locations on the same
machine as the front end and in other locations on a server. The individual
databases are "combined" through the use of export to excel functionality &
emailing into a central database about every 6 months (the users only ever
need their data and not anyone elses).

my only way of updating their front ends is notification via email & then
they d/l the new version off the web. As this is a very small change i am
trying to avoid the angst that this process causes some of the users and we
are also making "major" changes in the next few weeks that will require them
to d/l a new front end but this is a much needed / urgent change and i'm
trying to find an alternative way to approach it (much like a "patch" as
opposed to a new version!).

Any other ideas
Cheers
JulieD


"Rick B"
 
What if you were to make a new db and import your new form to this db.
Distribute this db and have the people at the locations open there frontend,
delete(or rename) the form in question, then import the form to their db.
Just a thought.
 
Hi Reggie

thanks for the suggestion but they can't actually get to the database
container in their versions .. i think i'm stuck with getting them to d/l a
whole new front end ... :(

Cheers
Julie\d
 
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