[AccessD] Woe unto Run-time - I need your input

StaRKeY StaRKeY at Wanadoo.nl
Sun Apr 27 02:35:34 CDT 2003


WoW Jane, lot of questions for a newbie:-)


Hello,

>I am new to this list.
Welcome, stay?

>....smaller runtime with earlier versions of access? Even
>the access 2000 mini install is 40megs. Is this the
>case with access 2002?
AFAIK the runtime is that big since A2000.

>Does anyone here on the list have
>any experience selling software off the shelf that
>uses the access run-time? If so can you give me some
>pointers?
No experience with the selling part here but why should there be a problem?
Using the runtime is no problem.

>to re think a few things. What happens when I send
>this out and it installs run-time access 2000 on a
>computer that has access 97 or access 2002?
Doesn't the current RT installation warn the user about this during the
installation? I do remember a situation with A97 where both Access and RT
Access were installed and I ended up with only a working RT version:-)
Ofcourse the registry settings were causing the problem.
Besides the above, if you sell, your buyers should read the requirements for
your app. where it says that they need either Access 2000/2002 or install
the RT version included on your CD.

>What
>happens if they dont have an access install when they
>load this, but then later install access 97 or 2002?
I'd say their problem.... you should probably have several Access version
copies at hand for situations like these and sell them seperately. I can't
remember Bill having much problems selling his OS software whatever happens
to 3rd party software if you move on to another version.

>All the material I have seen on the web says it is
>quite a mess, is that true?
Nah... IMO it all comes down to knowing what you do and letting buyers
exactly know what your software requirements are so they can decide on what
to do. Having several Access versions of your application will help with
this. Ofcourse not knowing creates a mess;-)
If you buy a car running on diesel and you pour gasoline it the tank because
you want your car to go faster you'll end up with the same mess....

>If they do this I think
>they will see a prompt every time they move in and out
>of the two versions of access when the registry is
>updated. Is there anyway to avoid this?
Don't know but seems like a nice warning for those wanting to do this:-)

>Does anyone know of an off the shelf software package
>that might be sold at a major retailer, even a smaller
>one, that uses the access run-time? Im just wondering
>if anyone does this.
First, I built my own Access software so I wouldn't know. Second why not
just let your buyers decide? Offer the runtime as a seperate setup for those
not owning your Access version. For all the others you either create
seperate versions or you don't and force your buyers to figure it out for
themselves. As long as they are informed about their options I guess this
would be no problem.

>..... Is there anyway to span an mdb across several
>floppies using vba?
Ofcourse there is but let's forget about floppies. If you still want to do
this I'd use 3rd party software (where also compression is used) and call it
from VBA using commandline parameters... BUT I'd rather have your buyers
worry about where to backup their data.

Last but not least .. you are responsible for your application doing what it
is supposed to do. All the things related to your application is not your
responsibility though you can inform your users on how to handle certain
situations for being customer friendly and sell more copies.
Let's not start thinking for those capable of thinking themselves. If they
can't figure things out for themselves having almost all information
available on the internet they could still go to some Access consultant and
have him/her take care of the 'problem'. Sounds like a nice service contract
to me Jane;-) Offer your future buyers product support over a period of time
at a certain cost, for example...

Also in case of companies let their network admins worry about the backups,
again not your problem.

My two cents,
Eric S.

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