Database Properties - Did you know

jwcolby54

jwcolby54

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Ages ago I wrote a little tool - C2DbProperties - to allow me to modify database properties.

C2DbProperties

The objective was the ability to open any "remote" non password protected database from my C2DbProperties tool, and set and reset the database properties most often troublesome to developers, properties that the user could "misuse". Things like Break Into Code, Allow Bypass Key, and ShowDBWindow. I wanted to be able to "tighten up security" on (usually) FEs being pushed to the user, but also to my libraries. Keep prying eyes out.

Anyway, I learned a ton about database properties in the process. Advanced programmers such as yourselves might know this but these properties are actually created the first time they are set. In order to do this I had to write code to find the properties, if they didn't exist then create them, then set the properties to the value I wanted - usually a boolean true or false.

I did all this 25 years ago or so, and I am doing a presentation on this tool next week, so I am going back into my code to relearn how I did this stuff. C2DbProperties has a ton of code specific to manipulating properties.

One of the things I remember is that many things have property collections to which we can add our own properties. The database itself has this but IIRC also forms, and maybe other things such as tables and queries. Which makes it possible to set up properties which are "hidden" from the user but visible to us programmers. As an example I can embed a version number property, and programmatically modify the name of the database displayed at the top of the screen to append the version number to the database name. Stuff like that.

If anyone has studied this stuff, please do pipe up in this thread. A discussion might be useful to us. I found it fascinating back then and I find it fascinating now.

Please... if you find my code in C2DbProperties not particularly professional ... cut me some slack, I was young and foolish back then. :)

Now I am old and foolish.:(
 
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I create a querydef property to store formatted sql with comments - my sql editor is a richtext control and keywords are coloured depending on type of keyword. However probably obsolete now with the coming of Monaco
 
For a long time I used this db example for property setting and getting. It was a nice utility, but it is 32 bit and I cannot even open or export from it. I have no idea who made it. Maybe someone can open it and convert to work with 64bit.
 

Attachments

LOL, I can't even open it because Access displays "unsafe source crapolla" and refuses to even allow it to open. It claims only disabling the macros but only cancel is available and that shuts the whole thing back down
 
OTOH C2DbProperties can open it and see all of the properties I have been discussing. Let me ask ChatGPT if that "file source" property can be found and reset
 
jwcolby54 said:
OTOH C2DbProperties can open it and see all of the properties I have been discussing. Let me ask ChatGPT if that "file source" property can be found and reset
Click to expand...
Having moved it to a trusted location, opened it in C2DbProperties, set all of those properties etc, I can now open the file. It was written by

That'll Do It - Custom Database Solutions
By Crystal And Crew

A link to their website is broken, seems to be down.
When I tried to open their code modules it tells me it has been compiled to nn MDE by someone named Bill Mosca
It has the .Accdb on the end which as I have discussed elsewhere doesn't really mean much.

It looks more or less like C2DbProperties, rearranged a bit. It has a little added functionality that C2DbProperty does not. But,,,

Mine is still available... free to use... and the developer is available to talk to. Plus all my code allows me (or you) to go poking around looking at other properties, or even create your own.
 
MajP said:
For a long time I used this db example for property setting and getting. It was a nice utility, but it is 32 bit and I cannot even open or export from it. I have no idea who made it. Maybe someone can open it and convert to work with 64bit.
Click to expand...
It is compiled to an DE, code stripped out. So it's doubtful you can do anything other than use it.
 
You mean something like this?
Code: 
Sub asdasd()
    Dim prop As Object
    Set prop = CurrentDb.CreateProperty("CustomProp", 1, False)

    CurrentDb.Properties.Append prop
End Sub
1748627289590.png
 
jwcolby54 said:
LOL, I can't even open it because Access displays "unsafe source crapolla" and refuses to even allow it to open. It claims only disabling the macros but only cancel is available and that shuts the whole thing back down
Click to expand...
Opens for me?
1748629328568.png


Strangely enough, if you click the About button, you get a bunch of Property not found messages before getting the form below. :-)
1748629429107.png


Wondering if that Crystal is our @strive4peace ?
 
MajP said:
For a long time I used this db example for property setting and getting. It was a nice utility, but it is 32 bit and I cannot even open or export from it. I have no idea who made it. Maybe someone can open it and convert to work with 64bit.
Click to expand...
It seems that it's by Crystal and crew.
1748629902786.png
 
Also by a member Bill Mosca. He doesn't get on here much , but "That'll Do It" was his site.
 
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