Publishing Access Tables for Runtime Viewers

[plumsmugler]

Hello,

My office recently purchased Microsoft Access for our secretary to keep track of our contacts. No other employee owns Access so we have to distribute the tables through Access Runtime. However, there seems to be a problem.

I save and publish a database using the Packaging Wizard. I then send the associated folder with the install program to a computer which has Access Runtime installed on it. But, when I install the file I created with Packaging Wizard it just opens an Access window that is completely blank. It's actually the same thing that occurs when I try to open an Access file on a computer that doesn't have Access or Runtime installed on it at all.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[John Big Booty]

Welcome to the forum

A properly designed DB application will require more than tables.

From memory Access has a DB wizard to create a contacts DB, this is probably a good place to start.

An understanding for Data Normalisation will also help you understand the correct design of an efficient DB. Working through a tutorial will also assist in your understanding of this concept

 

[Pat Hartman]

The runtime engine blocks all design view access to objects This includes hiding the navigation pane and the ribbon. To use the runtime engine, you need a fully developed application that is controlled by forms. Raw tables are not accessable.

 

[plumsmugler]

To use the runtime engine, you need a fully developed application that is controlled by forms. Raw tables are not accessable.

So how do I create a fully developed application that is controlled by forms?

 

[John Big Booty]

You could start from one of the templates and work from there.

 

[plumsmugler]

Ok, using a template within Access does make Runtime work. How do we create our own templates that are publishable and readable within Runtime?

 

[PaulO]

As mentioned in earlier posts, you'll need to develop a suite of Queries, Forms, and Reports. If it's just Contacts, then this isn't a big development and you should be able to get your Runtime Application up pretty quickly.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Start by searching the MS site for a template that manages contacts. There is at least one and there may be more. New tempates are added frequently. This will show you how the application should function. Delete any test data from the tables in the template and then append your existing data using an append query.