[AccessD] Future of Access?

Tina Norris Fields tinanfields at torchlake.com
Wed Jul 16 16:09:57 CDT 2003


Hmm - Jim, I keep some old stuff on some old machines because some of my 
clients and family are still using the old stuff.  I have WP 5.1 and 6.1 
for DOS on my old 486.  If you need any documents read and translated to 
a newer version, let me know.  I'll be glad to convert them for a more 
recent program.  I have WordPerfect up to 8 for Windows and Word up to 
XP - so let me know.  Respond off-list if you like.

Oh, and BTW, my computer science degree also required COBOL, RPG, and 
BASIC, as well as C - I had to go learn Java on my own!

Tina

Hale, Jim wrote:

> The saving grace is that any new technology will be forced to provide 
> a migration path for the mainstream technologies it is replacing. The 
> trick becomes to not get too many versions behind so that you are 
> orphaned. For example, last night I needed to open some old wp and wpd 
> files. Nothing on my machine recognized them. Word will import 
> wordperfect 5.x - anything before then and I am sol.
>
> Jim Hale
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Drew Wutka [mailto:DWUTKA at marlow.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 9:46 AM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: RE: [AccessD] Future of Access?
>
>
> 30 years is quite a long time.  This issue has definitely been discussed
> before.  The real problem with using Access 97 isn't the .mdb nor Jet, 
> it's
> the Access GUI itself.  If you build an Access 97 .mdb, that just 
> holds data
> (so it's only tables), then it will last as long as the OSes available 
> keep
> themselves within their current paradigm.  Using VB as a Front End thus
> allows an installable (again, as long as the OSes.....) FE, that won't 
> need
> to be replaced.
>
> Creating an App entirely within Access 97 runs some other risks.  I 
> wouldn't
> really be concerned about A97 acting up with an OS, my big concern 
> would be
> it acting up with a newer version of Office, that may come down the road.
> Everything so far has been backwards compatible, but who knows.
>
> The big issue with OS paradigms, is that right now all available options
> work in the current OS schemes.  However, if the OS paradigm changes 
> (like
> they go with some sort of virtual reality OS, or whatever), more then 
> likely
> Access 97 will not work correctly, but then again, neither will any other
> option....because if things really shift, EVERYTHING will need to 
> shift with
> it.  Make sense?
>
> It's kind of like saying that you need to build a car that will last 
> for 30
> years.  If you could build it so that all of the parts involved truly 
> lasted
> 30 years, with no need to repair anything, your limiting factor is still
> gasoline (which the car will run on.....just like Access 'runs on' an OS
> like Windows 2000, XP, 9x, etc.).  In 30 years, gasoline may be 
> completely
> replaced by a new fuel source.  How could you possibly build a car 
> with an
> unknown future on the fuel?  You can't, you can only guarantee something
> from with a set of defined rules.  However, if gasoline is replaced in 30
> years, your car is probably going to be the least of everyone's concerns,
> since everyone will need to change to the new system.  Make sense?  To 
> try
> and relate it to cars and fuel again, imagine SQL Server 2000 is the 
> latest
> model Porshe.  Now imagine that Access 97 is a 1969 VW Bug.  A lot of
> experts will state that the latest model Porshe has all sorts of 
> wonderful
> features, how it can do things that weren't dreamed of in 1969.  Their
> right.  However, right now, both cars would run on gasoline.  If gasoline
> disappeared, and was replaced with a different fuel source, both cars 
> would
> need an overhaul to run on the new fuel (OS).
>
> Drew
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Foote, Chris [mailto:Chris.Foote at uk.thalesgroup.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 4:04 AM
> To: 'accessd at databaseadvisors.com'
> Subject: [AccessD] Future of Access?
>
>
>
> Hello all!
>
> I'm in the process of putting together a document for my company. We are
> bidding for a contract that will last for at least 30 years. I'm 
> proposing
> the use of an existing database created using A97 to manage one aspect of
> this contract. I suspect that Access 97 will not be supported (or indeed
> supportable) come 2033. I need to put in some upgrade path. I'm thinking
> along the lines of:
>
> A97 upgrade to A2k in the next few years.
> A2k to SQL(?) in 2005
> Then what?
>
> Anyone got a hotline to the future?
>
> Is SAP going to be the next big thing or .NET or XML or....?
>
> Any comments gratefully received.
>
> I appreciate that predicting the death of Access on 
> databaseadvisors.com is
> a bit OT >;O
>
> Best regards!
> Chris Foote
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