Call V-Tools and other access add-ins from VBA?

[kylejmcintyre]

Hi,

I was recently directed by Bob Larson to download the V-Tools (http://www.skrol29.com/dev/en_vtools.htm) to help me perform deep searches of a large access project. The tool works great but I now have a need to automate it's use. Basically, I need to search for references to about 400 views in the system and purge ones that are unused (the guy who had this project last didn't believe in deleting stuff...). I'd like to do this either with VBA code or a macro, but I'm not sure if it's possible to call in to the V-Tools.

I know that it's possible to access COM Add-ins through the COMAddins application property, but I'm not sure if all Access Add-Ins are COM Addins. My testing of this property would suggest no since I don't seem to see the V-Tools in the collection. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

I am using Access 2003.

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[kylejmcintyre]

Update: I think I have determined that V-Tools are an example of a Menu Add-In, not a COM Addin. It appears that menu Add-Ins are enabled by registry values that point to another access project as well as a procedure contained within that project that should be called when the menu item is clicked. However, I'm still unsure of how I could call this procedure directly in the VBA code of my access project.

 

[HiTechCoach]

Kyle,

It sounds like you are doing clean up. If it were me, I would create a new blank database and then import the objects as you find you need them. This also helps to fully test/learn the database. You will end up will a much cleaner database than trying to delete the old object and then having to import all the object into a new blank database and then full test the database.

Is the database split into a front end and back end?

 

[kylejmcintyre]

Hi Coach,

Yes the database is split between front-end and back-end. The back-end is SQL Server 2005. I am performing cleanup, but my goal isn't to clean up my access project persay, that's just a byproduct. I am actually preparing this very large (~400 forms, ~200 reports) Access application for migration to a .NET smart-client. In order to produce some rough work estimates I am working on first trimming out dead forms, reports, code, views and tables, which so far seem to account for about 25% of the system (blech). I've already finished most of the forms and reports manually, because like you say I wanted to understand how the current system works. However, I am now just looking to purge unused views from the database and I don't feel that it will be educational to inspect them all manually.

Thanks,
Kyle