There is a lot of mis-information floating about regarding the developer's edition. Let me see if I can clarify.
1. There is NO difference in Microsoft Access between the Developer's edition, Office Pro, and Stand-alone Retail. All we are talking about is packaging and cost. Databases created by each of these versions are identical. All of the application building features of each of these versions is identical. The only real difference in functionality is that the developer's edition includes some ActiveX controls such as TreeView that are not included in any other version.
2. The reason that people purchase the Developer's edition (at a substantially higher price) is because it gives them a license to distribute the runtime version of Microsoft Access. Now that version really does provide different functionality. Actually it is reduced functionality. The runtime version cannot create new databases nor can it modify existing databases. It can ONLY run databases created with a full version of Access (one of the three mentioned in #1). If you need to run an Access db on a client PC that does not have a "full" version of Access installed, you can create an installation "package" that includes your db plus whatever support files that are necessary including MSAccess runtime. The client can install this package and it will allow him to run your (unchanged) .mdb or .mde database. Remember that NOTHING has been done to your app, it has simply been included as one file of many in an installation package.
3. If you need to support the use of the runtime package to run your db, you need to make (possibly) numerous modifications to your application. For example, You need to provide COMPLETE error trapping which means getting rid of any of your macros that can be replaced with code. You need to provide a custom menu or the user will not be able to print anything. Read the FAQ on the runtime thoroughly before committing to using it.
you could make a run-time version of your database with the Developer's Edition
- In fact, the developer's edition does
NOTHING to your database.
That version will run, but the application cannot be edited
- Not so. Your application CAN be edited by anyone who has a full version of Access installed. Think of the Access runtime as being similar to the Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader lets you read .pdf files but not create them or change them. But it doesn't stop you from loading the ful retail version of Adobe which DOES let you create and modify .pdf files. Once that version is loaded, it can modify ANY .pdf file that has not been specifically secured. So, as you can see, the runtime does not provide ANY security. Your only security is what you have included in the app.
