Copying Changes from Test Environment Into Live

[IncidentalProgrammer]

Hi, all!



So, I've gotten to a point with my database where I have split it into front and back ends, and then made a copy so that I have a test version and a live version. I have users in live who've started keying data, and I'm working on forms and tables in test that I then copy to live as they are completed. Up to now, I've been just copying the individual item in test, and then pasting it over the version that exists in live (example: I made some changes to a form in test, copied that form, and then pasted over the version of the form that was in live).

Where it gets tricky is that I am also in the process of designing and insurance underwriting feature that's going to be a part of this application. I've set up all the tables in test, and now that I'm working on setting up the relationships, I'm wondering how I'm supposed to copy the relationship setup into live. Am I supposed to be copying the entire front-end from test when I have changes, and replacing the existing "live" front end with it? And if I do that, will I have to edit it every time to keep the new live front end from sending data keyed into it to my test version (had that happen when I initially split it)?

Probably a silly question, but this project is the extent of my Access/Database knowledge. I'm literally learning as I build it.

[Perceptus]

In my setup the network relies on data from a mapped network location. all of the linked tables reference this mapped location, not the UNC path. This way I can change mapped drive location to point to the test data instead of live. Alternatively I would imagine you could set your linked tables to reference a UNC path and then update your host file on the test pc to reference these paths differently across the domain.

When development reaches a new milestone, I post the new database front ends to a public location and then push an update command to the user pc via pc's via WSF RPC. This causes their PC's to update even if no one is logged in while the machine is idle at the login screen.

[ranman256]

You give all the users a copy of YOUR version.

[ItsMe]

As ranman mentioned, you distribute copies of the Front End Files that are kept on the Users PC's (locally). For the BE, you want to keep track of changes. I use notes. My notes may be in Notepad, Excel, or both.

When I develop an FE, I keep a copy of the tables locally, on my hard drive. I use code to update the linked tables before distributing FE to the users.