Updating database/forms while users are active...hows it done???

[NikoTheBowHunter]

I've been working on my first database for me and a couple coworkers. Today was the first trial run and for the most part ran pretty smoothly. But I quickly noticed I was unable to do any updates/modifications to the front end forms while my coworker was also accessing it.

So in real world/large scale environments, how is this done? How do they do updates/test things on the back end with the tables/forms/reports/etc while not effecting the user on the front end? Easy enough for me to look over at my buddy and tell him to get out for awhile, but obviously thats not how its done on a large scale.

How should I set mine up so i can continue to do updates/tweaking until its polished while still allowing my coworkers access to do what they need to do with it? Both front end and back end of the database are stored on a shared network drive in the same folder.

Do I maybe create a copy of the current front end, rename it something different, link it to the database tables and tweak this? Then when everyone logs off for the day, replace the original front end with my tweaked one?



Can I update the tables in the back end while users are accessing the front end, say if i wanted to add some fields? If not how is this done?

Feel free to point me in the direction of a tutorial that shows how to do all this or explains how one would do this. Still slowly learning this as I go along. Much appreciated any help i can get. cheers.

[pbaldy]

You split the application. One link among many:

http://allenbrowne.com/ser-01.html

That means you work on a new front end at your leisure, distribute it when you're done. There are many ways to automate the distribution of new front ends that require nothing from the users. That all said, updates to the back end should (must?) be done with users out. Typically those are uncommon once a db has been put in production.