Is it legal?

[abdul]

Is it legal to use and distribute access or SQL database in your application?

[chrisjk]

Yes, provided you don't distribute access as well.

[filburt1]

LOL, distributing Access would definitely be a no-no.

[RyeBread]

What is this "secrete" place thing supposed to do? All I see is Page not found.

se·crete1 (s-krt)
tr.v. se·cret·ed, se·cret·ing, se·cret·es
To generate and separate (a substance) from cells or bodily fluids: secrete digestive juices.

[filburt1]

I'm guessing you replied to the wrong thread, Rye.

[chrisjk]

No he didn't, look at abdul's sig

[filburt1]

Me have sigs off. They annoy me.

[Muddy]

you even have to be careful about reselling third party software licenses with your app. Some (if not most or all) companies require some sort of resellers agreement before you can do it legally.

[abdul]

Then how do people create database applications? They use some kind of ADO or DAO technology..right?

[Muddy]

you dont need Access for that (ADO connection to an mdb)

[JoshT]

I believe you can freely distribute the MDAC components (ADO, OLEDB Providers, etc) for connectivity.

The "secrete place" link is an old trick, because pointing older, unpatched versions of win 95/98 to hardware addresses would cause them to crash.

[abdul]

But I still create a mdb database. So, is it legal to create mdb database yourself using ADO or DAO and then distribute it?

[filburt1]

Why not? I can create HTML files in Dreamweaver, text files in Notepad, graphics in Photoshop, etc.

[chrisjk]

The first reply in this thread answered your question.

[Sibby]

Filbert,

All the examples you listed are general file types. Text, HTML, JPG/BMP/GIF. You can use any program to modify these, where as an MDB file is more specialized to access alone. (From what I'm aware of anyway) I think that's what sparked abdul's initial request.

[Muddy]

Originally posted by abdul
But I still create a mdb database. So, is it legal to create mdb database yourself using ADO or DAO and then distribute it?

I understand your line of thinking, but, Access/mdb doesn't share the same relationship as say EXCEL/xls .

Your end user need not have Access on his machine in order to use your ADO application that uses an mdb on his machine.

[Cander]

Simply put, create a setup package. It will contain the data access components that you need. You cannot distribute Access, but you can use those componenets Vb uses to talk to and Access database. Same goes for SQL.

[filburt1]

Originally posted by Sibby
Filbert,

All the examples you listed are general file types. Text, HTML, JPG/BMP/GIF. You can use any program to modify these, where as an MDB file is more specialized to access alone. (From what I'm aware of anyway) I think that's what sparked abdul's initial request.

Photoshop uses a proprietary format, PSD.

[honeybee]

Consider this:

You can create data files in any format you want. I don't think there is any limitation on that. Access is just a software meant to allow a user to view and edit files in a particular format. The DAO and ADO technologies allow you to do the same, but through VB.

Microsoft allows you to distribute the ADO or DAO files along with your VB application as part of the VB or VS license. But since Access is a separate software you cannot redistribute it.

Tomorrow if you cracked the Access file format and created a software with the functionality that Access provides, you could distribute it freely.

.

[abdul]

I think you are not getting what I mean so I simply ask:

How people create a database application in vb such as keeping track of students' records or some other database related application?

I just need to know that wether they create an access database or an SQL database, and then open/manipulate that in thier application

[chrisjk]

Originally posted by honeybee
Tomorrow if you cracked the Access file format and created a software with the functionality that Access provides, you could distribute it freely.

Errrr. i don't think so!! Since when was the file format licenced to other developers?!?!...

[Cander]

Yes abdul you can create your own database viewer/reader/writer that will read an Access/SQL database and that is completely legal.

[honeybee]

Originally posted by abdul
I think you are not getting what I mean so I simply ask:

How people create a database application in vb such as keeping track of students' records or some other database related application?

I just need to know that wether they create an access database or an SQL database, and then open/manipulate that in thier application

Specifically, yes, because MS grants you the right to redistribute the DLLs which you use to create and manage Access or SQL databases through VB.

.

[abdul]

Thanks a lot!

But as I asked the question:

Is that how other people create their application?


And also is there any good web site from where I can get some good tutorials on ADO technology?

[Muddy]

http://www.vbsquare.com/databases/

[honeybee]

Originally posted by abdul
Thanks a lot!

But as I asked the question:

Is that how other people create their application?


And also is there any good web site from where I can get some good tutorials on ADO technology?

Yes, that's how other people write database applications.

Usually, database software makers release some DLL files or APIs so that application developers can make use of their database software as back-end.

With Access, just the DAO/ADO files would do. But with SQL server or Oracle, I think you need to install the client software of the RDBMS.

.

[JoshT]

Tomorrow if you cracked the Access file format and created a software with the functionality that Access provides, you could distribute it freely.

Technically, the License Agreements with Visual Studio and other MS developer stuff specifically say you can't use them create programs with the full functionality of Access (or anything that could replace any of MS Office). Then again, you could always just use a Borland compiler, etc.

[gravyboy]

Actually GIF is proprietary to CompuServe but since so many peeps use GIF, CS can't be arsed to do anything . . . .

[Rosey]

I know I am a newbie on this site but do have some knowledge on this subject. You are allowed to create, view, and edit a database for your App through MDS. The statement about the software looking or doing anything that another MS Office product does is also true in part. The laws for programming is that if you write something like one that has been created it MUST be CHANGED 75% or more to be considered yours. So unless you are making an Excel Program that works just like MS Excel or Word with the same interface and command stucture you should be fine. For myself I use old school. I use a table like setup using random access files. It saves a lot of space and have not had a record limit problem like access files have.

Keep It Rosey

[Doogle]

You do realise that this thread is nearly 7 years old. I suspect the question was answered to the OPs satisfaction then.

[birthjay]

Old thread yes....but you can distribute the Access Runtime if you have a developers license.