Question ms access version combinations

[Atomic Shrimp]

I don't see how you could link an ACCDB file from a 2003 frontend. The file type isn't even listed in the linking area as Access 2003 doesn't even know about the existence of these files.

AtomicShrimp:

You said:

But how did the ACCDB file format even come up in the linking dialog?

I was working in 2007. It would be interesting to see what would happen if I tried to open the database in 2003, after linking the tables in and saving it in 2007.

It is possible to design forward-compatible structures - I'm just not sure if Access 2003 has been done that way.

 

[dfenton]

do you know that there is a new application now in the internet that is able to crack 2007 database password encryption. I just got it yesterday and it disappoints me.

Database passwords are useless in the first place, so it's no loss that it's crackable.

 

[dfenton]

2. So when you linked the tables from 2007 to 2003, it really did appear as linked table in 2003 database?

It says "attachment fields are not supported in MDB or ADP database formats. If attachment fields are included in the source database tables, those fields will not be imported - do you want to continue?"

If you linked the tables, it wouldn't be an import.

Did you link the ACCDB tables in the 2003 MDB, or did you import them into the MDB?

While I'm sure that if you're using A2007 an MDB with an ACCDB back end will work fine, but I'm almost certain you won't be able to do anything with the tables if you open that same MDB in A2003.

Do you need any of the new features of ACCDB? If not, why did you choose that format? I'm a big proponent of backward compatibility, and still create all my MDBs in A2000 format, as a matter of fact.

 

[marianne]

Atomic Shrimp gave me link to the sql edition comparison Banana. And it states that only sql express have limited size db and the rest have unlimited.

I dont know much about sql. So I have this questions please.

1. Is it true that sql server express only have 4 gig limit?
2. If I am to create in sql server express a database, can that database will have unlimited size if place in other sql edition other than express?

3. How about mysql, does it have size limit? If it does, how much is the size limit?
4. What would be the best edition between mysql and sql editions?

thanks.

 

[Banana]

1) Yes.
2) Yes.
3) No because it's completely free to use.
4) Only you and your company can answer that question. There are several factors, but the simple fact is that a choosing a RDBMS is mostly likely to be an act of marriage, so this is not to be taken lightly. You have to not only look at the short term but also the long term goals of the applications.

a) How much money are you/your company willing to hand out?
b) How much time are you/your company willing to invest in developing this in house?
c) What hardware do you have to support the RDBMS
d) What existing applications do you already use that may impact the above decision. (e.g. does another department in your company already use a certain RDBMS? Or maybe your IT dept is trained in only one particular RDBMS?)
e) If there are no resources within IT, how much are you/your company willing to invest in training & developing IT resources?

There are probably more questions, but the bottom line. Like any marriages, you can't just pick a RDBMS, hop in the pimpmobile and head off to the Vegas and go to those of pink chapel that's open at 2 AM and get married because you will be regretting that decision tomorrow morning, a year down the road and even a decade later when the marriage goes ugly.

Good luck.

 

[marianne]

i see. that is why mysql is popular.

I have download the requisites that you said to me Banana on mysql, the gui tools, the connector, the mysql 5.1 but I dont know where to start. Is that all that I need to download?

Where should I start designing my tables? Is it like ms sql where it is visual for me to design the database?

 

[Banana]

See if this gets you started. Be sure to read the part about front-end client.

As for visual design, you use MySQL WorkBench for that job. Here's the manual.

Of course, it helps to read the ODBC guide to make sure you're developing MySQL with Access in mind.

 

[marianne]

got it Banana. Thanks. I am going towards mysql backend. Hoping for your further assistance though. thanks again.

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

If you linked the tables, it wouldn't be an import.

Did you link the ACCDB tables in the 2003 MDB, or did you import them into the MDB?

I linked them - I think the warning message was probably one that appears in either case and is just generally informing me that there are field types in 2007 that are not supported in 2003.

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

If I'd not cancelled at the first warning dialog, I'd have discovered the next one, which informs me it isn't possible.

So (working in 2007) when you try to link tables from a 2007 accdb back end into a 2003 mdb front end, you first get a message that says "attachment fields are not supported in MDB or ADP database formats. If attachment fields are included in the source database tables, those fields will not be imported - do you want to continue?"

If you click OK, the Link Tables box pops up - and when you select some tables and click OK, it says "Microsoft Office Access does not support linking to an Access database or Microsoft Office Excel workbook saved in a format that is a later version than the current database format."

So - definitively - it's not possible to have a 2003 FE linked to a 2007 BE.

 

[boblarson]

So - definitively - it's not possible to have a 2003 FE linked to a 2007 BE.

Ah, good - I thought I was going nuts there (I'm already nuts though ) as I could have sworn that you couldn't link to a version later than the one you have as the frontend.

 

[Banana]

Thanks for sharing, Atomic Shrimp.

That said, I have to admit a sense of bewilderment for not telling you that such action isn't possible until well into linking, and the first dialog giving false impression that one can link to future version as long attachment isn't used. Only on the second reading, I now realize it's referring to importing which also explains dfenton's puzzlement. They really could had done a better job of not providing confusing and misleading dialogs.


And to be 100% sure; it's only if the 2007 BE is a accdb file format; there should be nothing stopping from 2003 linking to .mdb files even if the .mdb was created & developed in 2007.

 

[Atomic Shrimp]

Only on the second reading, I now realize it's referring to importing which also explains dfenton's puzzlement.

It gives the message about 'importing' regardless whether you're importing or linking.

 

[Banana]

Right and my point is that message shouldn't have had popped up if at that point we yet had chosen to import or link and creating confusion. :\