Message on back end disconnection

[SunTop]

Hello Everyone
I have a database that is split into a front end and a back end. Sometimes the network connection between the front end and the back end is disconnected. What I want to do is, if the user starts the front end and the front end is unable to connect to the back end, a message pops up to the user and after the user clicks ok, the front end exits (the access application exits entirely not only the database file closes). The other thing I want to do is, if the connection between the front end and back end is established and the network gets disconnected, I want a message to pop up to the user and after the user clicks ok the front end exits (the access application exits entirely not only the database file closes). How to do this ?

[CJ_London]

if the user starts the front end and the front end is unable to connect to the back end

this is fairly straightforward. Using an autoexec or an initial form that does not have a recordsource connecting to the back end, use the Dir command to see if the backend is there - something like


if dir("path to backend")="" then
msgbox "cannot connect to backend, exiting now", vbOK+vbCritical
docmd.quit
end if

you may need some error checking, not sure what dir will return if the path itself can't be found

if the connection between the front end and back end is established and the network gets disconnected

not so easy - you would need to use a timer event on permanently open form (can be hidden) with similar code, or perhaps better some routine is called every time the user tries to do something (e.g. before update, before insert, before open, perhaps a 'before scroll') to check the existence and some error checking code after the event. However if this is a regular thing, you should consider using sql server since access is susceptible to corruption with unmanaged disconnections.

Also look at beginTrans and commitTrans to wrap around backend events - which should provide some protection if connection is lost during an update/append/delete event