Access 03 vs 07 onwards

[FuzMic]

Hi gurus

As we all know Access.03 is really a FE that access Jet .mdb & only from Access.07 it can access ACE .accdb. However I presume even with Access.03, if there is an ODBC for .accdb, it can still do the job, true or not?

My main enquiry here relates to what are the significant advantages in using Access.07+ as FE. As the Visual Basic VB6 remains unchanged in the coding, I tend to think that Access.03 can do as good as Access.07+ from a coding point of view.
Is this true?
Is there any significant cosmetics in Access.07+ that we should use that is not in Access.03?

Appreciate advice.

 

[Galaxiom]

I prefer the later interface. Once you get used to the ribbon it is quite easy to use.

Although I work in Access 2010 I continue to use md* files because they support digital signatures which distribute seamlessly on our network without packaging or Trusted Locations.

I don't see anything in the new version files that make me want to change to accd* files. Multivalue fields and calculated fields don't interest me.

The only down side I have come across is that an mdb cannot import data in the Excel xlsx format. However it can still drive any version of Access so it easy enough to convert them.

 

[FuzMic]

Yes Sir, comforting

 

[Lightwave]

I tend to use Access 2003 and migrate things forward as its easy whereas you can't migrate things backwards.

There will come a time when I probably move forward but its simply not required at the moment.

The most compelling reason is to get run time versions. It looks like its impossible to find a runtime version of Access 2003 anymore. Whereas the later version run times are easily available. But even then new runtimes should run the Access 2003 versions.

There are advantages to Microsoft making very few alterations to the underlying basics of MS Access

 

[FuzMic]

Hi Wave

You don't make waves staying at Access.03 like me.

I have no problem with RunTime as the 2007.sp3 runtime is fine with Access.02/03 with little changes at the .mdb.FE. I have a RunTime 02 but i don't use it as 07 is fine. I would like to have a 03.Runtime as it is small doing the job just fine.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

I still use A2003, and distribute mde's.

I suppose I am missing some pretty features, such as buttons on reports, and so on.
Rich text formatted text boxes might also be nice (does A2010 have them?)

eg - someone wanted underlining on reports to let users follow rows across.
Surprisingly I couldn't see an easy way of adding dividing lines to a report. In A2010, I was able to format the report with alternating colours. I thought it wouldn't build in A2003, but it did, so I imagine A2010 does this by creating a report property, rather than using something intrinsic to A2010. So I added this in A2010, but still distribute an mde.

 

[FuzMic]

wouldn't build in A2003, but it did, so I imagine A2010 does this by creating a report property, rather than using something intrinsic to A2010. So I added this in A2010, but still distribute an mde

Dave, please clarify (questions because i do not used A2010)
1 what you mean "I added this A2010", you mean the report property?
2 Is there another way to distribute not using an .mde?

 

[gemma-the-husky]

I have a A2003 database.

The particular feature I added is available in A2010, but not in A2003. I thought that the dbs may no longer work in A2003 as a result, but it did. I therefore assume that that particular improvement was accomplished by use of a special report property that would be ignored in A2003, but would work in A2010, which was useful.

sometimes when you include features available in later access versions, the dbs will no longer run in the earlier version.

contrast this, say, with a report output type.

to output as a pdf, there is a A2010 constant "acformatpdf". However you can't use this in A2003, as A2003 cannot export to a pdf. So you can't say

if version>="11" then
    domcd.outputto ...,acformatpdf
else
    dncd.outputto .... acformatrtf
end if

because A2003 does not know the constant acformatpdf. (You can achieve this by replacing the constant with the constant value.)

 

[FuzMic]

Much obliged Dave

 

[Simon_MT]

To me, 2007 was used as soon as it was available as 2007 supported jpg images, 2007 basically handles images in their native format. Waited a long time for this feature, although a applet sufficed from 1997.

Simon

 

[CJ_London]

as A2003 cannot export to a pdf

no, but you can print to a pdf printer such as CutePDF - which has a free version, but not so easy if you have to install it on client machines

 

[gemma-the-husky]

I actually exported pdfs in A2003 by using stephen lebans convert snapshot utility. It was included as an example

 

[shadow9449]

no, but you can print to a pdf printer such as CutePDF - which has a free version, but not so easy if you have to install it on client machines

I use Lebans' solution in my Access 2003 projects. It works great:

http://www.lebans.com/reporttopdf.htm

SHADOW