MartyConnelly
martyconnelly at shaw.ca
Fri May 13 16:33:08 CDT 2005
Here are some alternate Front End methods However there are a quite a few freebie Frontend AutoUpdaters available. They generally work by checking a version table on the backend and running a batch file to update the front end. Each has it's own quirks and methods. Users may require a bit of getting used to some of these methods as its is not always hidden from them. Tony Toews Auto FE Updater Here is one version of an Access FrontEnd AutoUpdater, I have seen simpler ones on the web. This a VB6 program that also handles WinXP and user permissions etc. Remember some users maybe locked down severely. It is a VB6 exe but you can buy source code for $100 canadian http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe/details.htm These guys in Australia have versioning frontend programs for Access http://www.ssw.com.au It is on their 4 th download page called versioncontrol wizard You have to register first to get an emailed url unless you want a copy emailed directly . Rather simple method but not complete Lots of other useful code on this site http://www.fabalou.com/Access/AccessRants/trouble_with_access_4.asp John W. Colby wrote: >Francisco, that just isn't the case. I watch the users load, and it doesn't >take that long (a few seconds). They load it in the morning, and close it >before they go home. They are in it all day so it isn't something that gets >loaded 12 times a day. > >John W. Colby >www.ColbyConsulting.com > >Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause: >http://folding.stanford.edu/ > >-----Original Message----- >From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Francisco Tapia >Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 12:11 PM >To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >Subject: Re: [AccessD] Front End Updater > > >You are causing an unnecessary load on the network IMHO. for the amount of >workstations your app maintains it should not feel sluggish, downloading the >app everytime you start it makes you feel that way. >There are other factors at play here too. the server that serves up the >file can easily be bogged down in connections if someone is making a huge >write/read from it, further slowing down your FE start up times... even if >it only happens once in a while your user's perception of your program will >be that it's slow... > >A quick check for the version number could solve your issue as well and can >be done from the batch file as well, download the .txt w/ the version in it >and check it within the batch, if a new version is out, download the new >version while prompting the user... otherwise your users just see a snappy >app that loads when they double click on it. >downloading the entiere FE everytime reguardless of upgrade is a waste of >resources... imagine having to wait for IE/FF/Opera to download the program >everytime you wanted to browse the web!!! > >On 5/12/05, John W. Colby <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com> wrote: > > >>Simplicity. My clients typically have 30-40 stations max, and the FE >>takes a few seconds to load. A batch file took about 3 minutes to >>cook up and just works. Obviously if this is going to a system with >>hundreds of workstations then something else would be in order. The >>other thing is that by downloading a fresh copy every time they open >>the FE I can do temp tables without worrying about bloat. >> >>John W. Colby >>www.ColbyConsulting.com >> >>Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause: >>http://folding.stanford.edu/ >> >>-----Original Message----- >>From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >>[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Kath >>Pelletti >>Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:45 PM >>To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >>Subject: Re: [AccessD] Front End Updater >> >>I can't see either why you would want to download the FE every time. I >>always do a check on startup and replace only if the version no. has >>changed. Kath >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Francisco Tapia >> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 10:21 AM >> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Front End Updater >> >> That still sucks, the updater I put together checks the ver through >>the day >> (about once every hour), a small tiny file less than 1k, that's not a >> >> >big > > >> deal but if I was gonna incorporate wan, i'd slow the check to once >>on boot >> up of the software and once per day (if they never shut down). having to >> dowload whatever the FE size is every time you wanna use the application >> makes it feel clunky. >> >> On 5/12/05, John W. Colby <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com> wrote: >> > >> > On a local lan I just have a batch file that does the download >>every time >> > the user loads the FE. Over a low speed wan this might be problematic, >> > though over a high speed internet connection it would probably work >> >> >just > > >> > fine. >> > >> > John W. Colby >> > www.ColbyConsulting.com <http://www.ColbyConsulting.com> >> > >> > Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause: >> > http://folding.stanford.edu/ >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >> > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Arthur >> >> >Fuller > > >> > Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 2:52 PM >> > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >> > Subject: [AccessD] Front End Updater >> > >> > I know that this has been kicked around several times in the past, but >> > I'd like to know the current thinking on this subject. Given N users >> >> >on > > >> > a LAN (and it might be a WAN), we want to place any updates in one >> > standard place (probably using a hardcoded reference to the box and >> >> >dir) > > >> > and then have a mechanism that checks to see if the update is more >> > recent than the version locally loaded. >> > >> > What puzzles me about this is: given Access's habit of re-timestamping >> > the ADP/MDB file upon loading, how do you compare versions to see >> >> >which > > >> > is more recent? A laptop user, for example, currently disconnected but >> > going to be connected tomorrow morning, may have a more recent >> >> >timestamp > > >> > on her file than the one on the net. How do you get around this >> >> >problem? > > >> >> -- Marty Connelly Victoria, B.C. Canada