how to create a standalone db app

[Buiter]

I need some general advice and hope that you can give me some guidelines...

I have done all my database programming in Access 2000 up to now, and feel quite competent and comfortable using Access.

As you would know, the problem with Access is that most users out there do not have Access, and distributing an app is always a headache. Therefore I thought it would be wise to move away from Access and find a different vehicle for my creations.

Is VB the answer? Which database should I connect to from my VB front end? The examples in my VB course all connect to the Jet db engine (= Access). Does that mean that I'm back at square one? Is there a stand alone db available that I can distribute with my VB app?

What I would like to do is, write a database app, and make it available to a user, without the user needing anything special (like Access) on his computer.

I hope I make myself clear ... as you can probably see, I'm an amateur doing this as a (serious) hobby, so please be gentle and assume that I know nothing about this subject!

I appreciate your advice

B

[RobDog888]

Welcome to the Forums.

If you never display/show the GUI of Access then the user does not need to have Access installed as only the MDAC is required and is allowed to be downloaded/redistributed.

so to answer your question, yes, use VB for the front end and use Access as your back end to store the data and never show the GUI. Include the db in your package setup and MDAC and you should be good to go.

[Buiter]

Hi RobDog

Thanks for your quick reply. Wow, you're opening up horizons for me!!

Just to make sure I understand what you're saying:
- I can follow the examples and connect to the Jet engine
- the end user will be able to use the Access BE, even he he does not have Access installed on his computer
- what (apart from the VB FE) should I include in my package; and how do I do this?

What is MDAC? (please excuse my ignorance!)

Thanks for your help

B

[RobDog888]

Np, MDAC is Microsoft Data Access Components.

Here is the download link from MS - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/data/aa937730.aspx

MDAC main page - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/data/aa937729.aspx

Yes, you can create a VB front end that uses ADO (for ex.) to connect to the database for reading/writting, retrieving data from table(s) for displaying on your VB front end form(s), etc. No need for the user to have Access installed or license.

When creating a setup package most will read the dependancies and include them automatically. The P&D Wizard does this as well as most other 3rd party packagers.

[RobDog888]

Also, if you download the Component checker Component (on the first links page) it will tell you which is the latest version installed on a system. It comes in handy when troubleshooting version conflicts or class interface errors due to incompatible mdac versions etc.

[mendhak]

And because you're opening yourself up to VB (or C# or any other front end language), you can also have the option to use even more powerful databases such as Oracle or SQL Server or MySql. These would come in handy when you develop larger more scalable applications, since Access is quite limiting.

[Hack]

If you never display/show the GUI of Access then the user does not need to have Access installed

This is very important. Even though you can create reports in Access and call them from VB, the person running your application would need to have Access installed as Access needs to be opened in order to run the report.

So, you will need to find a different reporting method if your customers do not have Access installed (and you should presume they will not).