Bob Larsons FE Auto Update Utility (1 Viewer)

[olorin]

Hi there
I would like to see if I understand this correctly.
I have a Backend on a Server, and I have two Frontends (different names) that I wish to connect to that single Backend.
Would I be able to use Bob Larson's FE Auto-Updating Utility to update the different Frontends as and when they change, providing I have the FE_Version field set to different IDs in each of the Frontends? Or would I need to have two separate Backends?

 

[Kiwiman]

Howzit

I have been using this, and it works well.

You only have one back end, and each user using the database will have a Front End copied to their desktop (or some other location).

When you make changes to the master copy and you want to filter the changes to the other users, then you change the Version numbers residing in both the Master Front End and the Back End (which should be a linked table in the Front End).

When the users next load the database, it will check that the versions are the same, and if not, delete the users front end, and copy the latest version to the users current location.

Like I said, it works pretty well.

 

[olorin]

Thanx for the reply, I'm glad it works well for you.
I can see the way it would work with 1 Master FE on the server and a copy of it on the users workstation, but would I be able to configure say, 3 or 4 different Master FE's on the Server along with a single BackEnd?

 

[Kiwiman]

Howzit

Why would you want 3 or 4 master front ends for the one back end? SHould you not be doing the development just on the one Master Front End?

 

[georgedwilkinson]

Olorin,

I do this (using a different FE updating tool). You should be able to do it, though in my case, I had to modify the code that does the updating and the SQL backend slightly.

I haven't really evaluated Bob's tool, though. I'm guessing it is the same.

Nice name, BTW.

Everybody else. There are plenty of reasons to have mutiple front end applications running against the same back end.

 

[olorin]

WOW!
I feel honoured that the man who is responsible for me believing that I could develop a database in the first place, has answered a humle post of mine. Thank You.

If anyone starting out, wishes to know the fundamentals of database structure and the pitfalls to avoid, you MUST read "Grover Park George on Access".

When I first read through it, I was a complete novice at database development, but after developing a small database as described in the book, I was then confident enough to embark on what has become a marathon project for work, (I can only work on it in my spare time).
The company that I work for, has now decided to deploy it throughout the local local network at work and I feel as though I have achieved something. I am forever in GDW's debt.
As well as all the kind people on this forum and Utter Access.

Thank you all.

Getting back to my question regarding the 2 or 3 Front Ends;
There are Chargehands and other grades of people that would only need to view reports etc, there are a few other people that would have to enter Orders or do shipping entries.

I just thought I could develop a couple of different FrontEnds for the types of people, and I could trim-down the forms and queries etc. and they may run quicker as they would only need one or two forms and much fewer queries in them.

 

[olorin]

Oops, I got excited when I saw AWF VIP after George's name.
But you all knew I mean't Hepworth
It's a great start-up book anyways

 

[georgedwilkinson]

LOL, glad you got that straightened out! I don't know if I can live up to somebody else's standards. I have enough trouble living up to my own.

If all you're doing is enabling/disabling functionality via multiple front ends, you could probably just do that with a single FE. But really, it's totally up to you and how comfortable you are with your approach.

I see absolutely no problem with having multiple front end versions other than you have to keep up with (i.e. maintain) them and most tools like Bob's assume a single front end. Like I said, there are work-arounds.

 

[olorin]

Glad you didn't take offense at my slip-up George.
It's hard to inflict tone of voice with text on plain background, anyways, thanx for your input.
I have also looked at restricting functionality by use of the windows logon name, but that still means having a lot of forms, reports, queries etc that are in the front end that some people would never see, and I was looking for a way of speeding things up a little with Access.
As you are no doubt aware, it can be a tad slow at times when running complicated queries to generate a report most people dont have a lot of patience to wait for.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I am extremely new to this database thingy even though I have managed to develop something I am proud of.

I suppose the next step is to think about putting it on a SQL Server to help speed things up. I read somewhere that I could put queries on an intermediate server apart from the backend and also free of the front end. But that will take a lot of reading-up on first.

If you or anyone reading this knows of any good web articles or books on the subject, I would be grateful.

Thanx again for your interest.

PS. glad you like the name, I just wish I was as wise.

 

[georgedwilkinson]

Before you go through too much trouble, you need to make sure your design is correct and that you have used the correct indexes.

 

[olorin]

I agree that it would take a good deal of time and effort to upgrade it to an SQL sever but I have am willing to dedicate myself to it anyway.

If you have time to take a look at my table design/relationships, please look at the attached screenshot.

tblPurchaseOrders has a field "POnumber" and tblShipments also has the same field. I wanted to join the POnumber to the pkBookingsID on a One to Many join; Many shipments against One PO; but as the POnumber field is a text field (Purchase Orders from Customers come in a variety of formats) it will only let me join on number fields.

There are also a few "Suspended" fields but they are only "Yes/No" fields so I thought I didn't really need a look-up table for that. In fact a lot of the fields in the tblShipments are Yes/No fields.

Any advice or pointers are as always much appreciated.

Thanx in advance

 

[GaryPanic]

different front ends makes sense

i will be puting together a d/b and I have had to make it idiot proff 9as much as i can ) I have mangers who want info out and I don't wan them to be able to edit/change anytihng - so they have to pass everything to an inputter these inputters i don't want them to see management stats etc

some of the reports etc from mangers might get complicated so stripping them out makes sense

 

[Rabbie]

I have checked out Bob's FE utility and it would need a simple modification for it to work with multiple FEs This because it holds the latest version of the FE in a table in the BE and compares this with the current version of the FE as held in the FE. It would need to odified so it knew which was the latest value of each FE version.

Not a major change but it would need testing

 

[olorin]

Thanx for the replies people.
I was interested in the multi FE scenario for the same reasons Gary is.

As far as modifying Bob's FE updating tool Rabbie, I looked at that myself, and I thought that the Module may need modication in as much as, an If...Then statement, to see which Front End's ID field has changed. But not being a wizard at writing code I wasn't sure how to go about it.

 

[boblarson]

Thanx for the replies people.
I was interested in the multi FE scenario for the same reasons Gary is.

As far as modifying Bob's FE updating tool Rabbie, I looked at that myself, and I thought that the Module may need modication in as much as, an If...Then statement, to see which Front End's ID field has changed. But not being a wizard at writing code I wasn't sure how to go about it.

I'll see about modifying the current tool to handle multiple frontends. No guarantees about how quickly I will be able to do it, but I will get it done.

 

[olorin]

Wow! Thanx a million Bob.
It never ceases to amaze me how people such as yourself, give their time to help others like myself, with tasks they are not able to do themselves. It kinda restores one's faith in human nature.
Thanx again.

 

[boblarson]

Wow! Thanx a million Bob.
It never ceases to amaze me how people such as yourself, give their time to help others like myself, with tasks they are not able to do themselves. It kinda restores one's faith in human nature.
Thanx again.

We do it because we love doing it and helping others. By the way, I was just wondering if you had taken a look at the FE Auto Updater by Access MVP Tony Toews. It may do what you need it to do as it may be a while for me to get mine where it handles multiple frontends (as there are going to need some major changes as to how I handle things to get it automated so users don't have to do code changes).

If you haven't checked it out, take a look here:
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm

and see if that might work better for your purposes.

 

[olorin]

Thanx for the info Bob, I'll check it out

 

[GPGeorge]

WOW!
I feel honoured that the man who is responsible for me believing that I could develop a database in the first place, has answered a humle post of mine. Thank You.

If anyone starting out, wishes to know the fundamentals of database structure and the pitfalls to avoid, you MUST read "Grover Park George on Access".
...
QUOTE]


Thanks for the kind words, but I'm not the same George who has been helping you here. I'm grateful to learn that at least one person did get some benefit from the book, though.

George Hepworth

 

[olorin]

Wow George, didn't know you prowled these halls. I had corrected my mistake earlier in this post, which you may not have seen, but I meant every word regarding the value of your book for anyone starting out in Access databse design. Excellent.