Package Wizard - Where is it?

[mgpa]

Ok, I have Acc2k3 professional with Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System which according to MS includes the Microsoft Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions (http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/office/officetools.aspx) that are required to package an MDE/ADE file using Acc2k3.

The question is how do I run it? I cannot find anything to do with packaging or deploying an Access file anywhere, not only in Access but ot the system and on the Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System cd.

I should point out that my PC has VB.NET 2003, Office 2003 (prof) and Office 2000 (prof - Access only) installed on XP SP2 (I believe that all relevant SPs and critical updates have been applied). I have tried upgrading my project from Acc2k to Acc2k3 and all to no avail.

TIA
Marcus.

 

[misstipps]

Marcus

Did you figure this one out yet? I'm going crazy wondering where I run this from.

Thanks

Clare

 

[ghudson]

Are you sure you installed the Microsoft Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions?

My installation has the links @ Start \ programs \ Microsoft Office 2003 \ Microsoft Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions

Here is the tartget value of my Package Wizard shortcut:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ADE11\WZADE.MDE" /runtime /ro /x macStartPKW

 

[mgpa]

Thanks for you comments ghudson. I have been an idiot!

I have searched through my plethora of MS CDs and I found one titled “Microsoft Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions”. Given that it is separate from the afore mentioned "Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System" I can only assume that I have accidentally separated the 2 disks. Whether they came together I cannot say.

To complete the thread and to assist any Googlers, the Package and Deployment wizard is obtainable via the Start Menu, All Programs, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Access 2003 Developer Extensions group (as mentioned above)

It is split into 2, the first “Custom Startup Wizard” allows the developer to create multiple compilation routines for a single MDB/ADP/etc. This would allow the developer to create a Windows batch file to compile your ADP, say, to create a compiled ADE together with StartUp options that can be used internally within your organisation and another batch file to create another ADE within differing StartUp options for selling to your clients. This appears to be very powerful but it does not allow the developer to change a hard coded connection to a SQL Server database, so the design of your Access project should allow the SQL server instance name and database, at the very least to be obtained from the PC’s registry. The latter can be included in the “Package Wizard”.

The “Package Wizard” allows you to create a standard MSI installation for your compiled MDE/ADE file. It also allows you to add additional files to the implementation scripts, such as help files and the like. This appears to be very standard and again has the Windows batch file method, so you could create a single batch file to take your signed off development to create separate and distinct installation routines for your company and your clients based upon the same MDB/ADP file.

The only issue I have found is that the software must be implemented in line with Microsoft’s current model. This means that you cannot install your ADE into C:\MyDir, for example.