User Levels

[sparklegrrl]

Hello all. I have a quick question. Is there a way to set user levels in access?

Thanks in advance.

 

[plog]

No.

But if you want to explain what you would like to accomplish we can help you build it.

 

[sparklegrrl]

I need to assign users the ability to access everything or for example, job & shipping information but not the purchase order section.

 

[plog]

There's a few ways to accomplish this--none are foolproof for someone intent on screwing up your data.

1. Seperate front ends. Each user gets a special front end and only the forms that they can use are in it.

2. Permissions table. This requires you set up tables to track what permission each user has and what forms those allow access to. This will require VBA to lock down each form/report and require someone to maintain that list and act as an admin giving and rescinding permissions.

 

[sparklegrrl]

Ohhhhh I love that idea! It gives me something to go on. Thank you!

Also - side question. Is it true that Microsoft is going to stop supporting access soon?

 

[plog]

Yes, sometime around 2006. At least that was the date I was given when I heard that the first time.

 

[sparklegrrl]

Yes, sometime around 2006. At least that was the date I was given when I heard that the first time.

HA HA! Sooooooo..... not happening eh?

 

[Vassago]

Considering Access 2019 was just released and isn't set to end support until 2025, I would say you are pretty safe still using it.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search/915

 

[The_Doc_Man]

We hear the "doom and gloom" for Access every so often. Then something comes out that was meant to replace Access. Then that something falls so flat on its face that you can't even recognize it anymore. Then the next version of Access comes out and the cycle starts over again. I've heard the "Access is going away" many times. EVERY TIME, the thing meant to replace it either is so buggy that nobody buys it or it is so under-featured that nobody buys it or the customers jump on Microsoft's ... stuff ... and they abandon the glorious idea they had because nobody will buy it.

If you happen to come across posts by someone called NFK in this forum, he's a Microsoft hater and an extreme Access hater. Ignore him. He'll tell you 10,000 reasons why Access should be burned at the stake. But when pressed, he can't offer anything that anyone wants to use - or can afford to use.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

On your original question (user levels), the way I did this was:

1. Users table - lists users and their role-number. #0 was disabled user, #1 was guest, #2 was "normal" user, #3 was admin user. But there is no reason you couldn't have more than that.

2. Each form's Form_Open event looked up the current user in the Users table, found the role number, and ran tests to decide (a) to not open the form or (b) to open the form but use the Form.AllowEdit and other .Allowxxxx flags to prevent unwanted action or (c) open the form and use the .Allowxxxx flags full access.

3. I also had the Form_Load stuff check for any special controls not compatible with a given role and to disable those controls. (Obviously, that is always some type of special-case check unique to each form.)