Access for standalone

[TheShabz]

Hi all,

I'm looking to practice creating databases for standalone use. I know I need the developers' edition of software but I'm not sure exactly what I need. Web searches are either providing old data or are leading to circular searches. I know Access alone isn't enough. Do I need Visual Studio? Is there a developer's version of Windows that I need to use? Lots of questions, not too many answers.



So, could anyone offer some insight as to the best way (preferably software available through MSDNAA) to start developing for standalone use?

[ajetrumpet]

developing for standalone use? I would assume all you would need are:

*Extensions
*Access Runtime Edition so the users can us an engine that works.
*a development machine.

if "standalone" means using Access and nothing else, those are all you need. Windows has an SDK (software development kit) and millions of other tools for various types of development on windows platforms, but process of creating Access databases as standalone applications requires none of them. And you certainly don't need visual studio, unless your applications have to be more complex than what can be accomplished with the Access database engine.

[RayMilhon]

Look at the Professional Version of Microsoft Office that includes Microsoft Access.

[TheShabz]

standalone meaning running on a machine that does not have Access installed. Basically, something I can send to others and have it work without them needing to install any software.

[ajetrumpet]

standalone meaning running on a machine that does not have Access installed. Basically, something I can send to others and have it work without them needing to install any software.

well you can't send anyone anything that's been developed in a customized manner without giving them the shell to run it on. They'll need something, whether it's an engine, platform, framework, OS, etc...

So the shell you would have to send would be the runtime edition of access. but that, using access's developer extensions and their packager, can be rolled into the executable that it creates. .exe, .msi, whatever....it's still an installation file.

So you need a development machine where you pack the files into an installation package, and you need a test machine that has no MS access on it to run the thing.

[RayMilhon]

Microsoft has free for download a runtime version of Microsoft Access. However for development you will need 1 full version of Access (included with Office if you get the right package used to be professional but they may have changed the naming since I got mine) After you've developed your DB you save it in MDE or ACCDE format and distribute with the Access Runtime.

[TheShabz]

Does an MDE or ACCDE protect all the tables structures, queries, and code from view, though? I thought it didn't. I want the user to only be able to go through the forms as a UI and never be able to touch anything behind it. Does an MDE or ACCDE fully compile everything? I thought I would have to go through Visual Studio for that.

[ajetrumpet]

Does an MDE or ACCDE fully compile everything? I thought I would have to go through Visual Studio for that.

Shabz,

How old are you again? College, right? This is basic knowledge for a developer, my friend. What you just said is the EXACT reason why MS created developer tools. Otherwise, why create them to make money? If you download ANY application from the web as installation file, one of the purposes obviously, is so you can't reverse-engineer the thing and get into the individual files that comprise the application. You can always do that afterwards of course through windows explorer, etc... Like deleting a DLL or something, but that's inevitable.

If you're looking for total security and guarantee against product theft or unauthorized data manipulation, you're completely pi$$ing in the wind. Furthermore, you're daydreaming. There is no such thing. And there won't be until the lowest level security professionals figure out a way to operate computers on something other than mathematics.

Your searches for answers on this though, via the web, should include MSDN and Office.com, such as this short article:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ac...005239302.aspx

[ajetrumpet]

After you've developed your DB you save it in MDE or ACCDE format and distribute with the Access Runtime.

Which the developer extension package does as a single step.

[TheShabz]

24. And yea, in college. Though InfoSys is a major in the college of business here. We're not programmers by any means. Database structural design and whatnot, sure. But development from a programmer/developer standpoint isn't really looked at. This is really my first foray into it, outside of a java course I took where the IDE compiled everything for us.

Thanks for the help.

[ajetrumpet]

24. And yea, in college. Though InfoSys is a major in the college of business here. We're not programmers by any means. Database structural design and whatnot, sure. But development from a programmer/developer standpoint isn't really looked at. This is really my first foray into it, outside of a java course I took where the IDE compiled everything for us.

Thanks for the help.

Actually, I do have one more thing to say here. If you're really interested in becoming good at this sort of stuff, I would look more at what users appreciate in this day in age rather than the "right" way to develop and the theoretics behind it. That's not what excites people at all, especially users or people that will use your stuff simply to entertain themselves.

I've come to learn that over the past year, actually. I currently work for a company that has 90% of it's workforce employed as engineers. And I am of course, one of them. But it's become very clear to me that even though many people have technical skills beyond belief and can do just about anything with any device, most of those people will never do something that's considered "great", or considered anything else for that matter.

It might not be for you, but for me the fun of being a developer is not being able to automate or progress the use of computers. For me, it's become more about how many discoveries that can be made and turned into something (business, etc...). The discovery potential with technology nowadays is pretty much endless, but it's not being capitalized upon because there are very few people out their with the intelligence to be able to put it to good and/or entertaining use.

[TheShabz]

I treat it kind of like art. You see all those wacky looking paintings and think "my 5 year old could have splattered paint on the wall like that, too." The difference is that the artist has the foundation in place and is now bending the "rules." So when I'm a stickler for full normalization, naming convention, etc, it's to provide whatever limited foundation knowledge I have. After they/me/us get that down, then the appreciation value can be added it. It's the same as any normal product life-cycle. I'm working with databases now that reports take a week or so instead of a same-day process or stored procedure because the databases weren't properly designed from the onset. The business definition wasn't translated to the backend properly.

As far as development goes, it's just a freelance on-the-side thing for me. I'm more interested in the sysAdmin, sysArchitect, and DBA roles. There I would hope that standard naming conventions and proper documentation is used so that I can understand what is happening at a glance, as will whoever follows me.

[ajetrumpet]

As far as development goes, it's just a freelance on-the-side thing for me. I'm more interested in the sysAdmin, sysArchitect, and DBA roles. There I would hope that standard naming conventions and proper documentation is used so that I can understand what is happening at a glance, as will whoever follows me.

I don't know man. Most of the work in companies now is pretty much all monitoring bs. That and set projects that are given specific amounts of money for completion. Honestly, it's not exciting work, unless you're the engineering type of person.

[TheShabz]

It's a means to provide for a family. I don't get personally invested in my work. I see it as a necessary evil, nothing more.

[ajetrumpet]

It's a means to provide for a family. I don't get personally invested in my work. I see it as a necessary evil, nothing more.

You're only 24 and you're already thinking about a family? Careful boy...don't go overboard just yet. Not until the US government decides whether or not they want to convert to communism and control it's citizens completely.