[AccessD] Drive mappings & global constants

rosalyn.clarke at barclays.com rosalyn.clarke at barclays.com
Thu May 8 11:35:08 CDT 2008


That sounds perfect Dan! How do you pass the information from the .ini file
into the database?

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Dan Waters
Sent: 08 May 2008 14:09
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Drive mappings & global constants

Hi Roz,

I had a similar server switching event at an early customer where it took me
5 hours to recode one database.  Vowing to never go through that again, I
eventually learned how to put the server path in one .ini file.  Now the
database reads the path from the .ini file on opening.  A .ini file is simply
a text file with a .ini extension, structured in a specific way.  

For my convenience, I put the .ini file into the same folder as the front end
.mdb.  You could use one file for all your databases.

You might be able to create one small database just for this purpose that
could then be called by all the other databases???  I haven't tried this
myself.

Last month at a different customer when we switched servers, changing the
path to the new server was a complete non-event.  I just typed in the new
path in the .ini file - done in 20 seconds.

Note:  frmGlobalVariables is a hidden sentinel form which contains many
global variables and is always open.

Note:  SystemFolderPath and SystemBEName are functions which read from the
sentinel form.


Example .ini file contents:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[Parameters]

SystemFolderPath=\\10.99.99.99\prod$\Operations\PSISystem

SystemBEName=PSIBE.mdb

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Example Code:
'----------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Sub PopulateBEPath()
On Error GoTo EH

    Dim frm As Form
    
    Set frm = Forms("frmGlobalVariables")
    
    frm("txtINIFileName") = "PSI.ini"
    frm("txtSystemFolderPath") = ReadIniFile("Parameters",
"SystemFolderPath")
    frm("txtSystemBEName") = ReadIniFile("Parameters", "SystemBEName")
    frm("txtBEFullPath") = SystemFolderPath & "\BackEnd\" & SystemBEName

    Exit Sub
    
EH:
    Call GlobalErrors("", Err.Number, Err.Description, "Startup",
"PopulateBEPath", , , "Line " & Erl)

End Sub

HTH,
Dan

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Function ReadIniFile(ByVal stgSect As String, ByVal stgKey As String)
As String On Error GoTo EH

    Dim strRet As String * 128
    Dim intSize As Integer
    Dim intCharsReturned As Integer
    Dim stgINIPath As String
    
    If stgSect = "" Or stgKey = "" Then
        MsgBox "Section Or Key To Read Not Specified!", vbExclamation, "INI"
    Else
        stgINIPath = CurrentProject.Path
        intCharsReturned = GetPrivateProfileString(stgSect, stgKey, "",
strRet, 128, stgINIPath & "\" & "PSI.ini")
        If intCharsReturned > 0 Then
            ReadIniFile = Left$(strRet, intCharsReturned)
        End If
    End If
        
    Exit Function
    
EH:
    Call GlobalErrors("", Err.Number, Err.Description, "INI File",
"ReadIniFile", , , "Line " & Erl)

End Function

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of
rosalyn.clarke at barclays.com
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 5:57 AM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: [AccessD] Drive mappings & global constants

Dear List

I have just been asked to resolve something, in zero time as usual, and I'm
sure there should be an elegant solution I just can't think of it.

There is a team that has 100+ Access databases, Excel spreadsheets and Word
templates that contain dependencies on a particular network drive that is
currently mapped to 'h:\'. In a few weeks time they will no longer be able to
use 'h:\' and will be given a new drive mapping. At some point shortly after
that, the server will be changed too, so the current DNS path will no longer
be valid either.

I don't know -and nobody will say for definite - what the new mapping & new
DNS path will be. These files are critical and the business insists on no
more than 24 hours downtime.

The dependencies include import/export routines, linked tables & linked
files.

What I would like to do is run a giant F&R on the code modules and replace
the root drives with a constant, and then make the constant available so that
ALL the applications use the constant. Then they can muck about with drive
mappings etc. to their heart's content and I won't have to come back to the
South coast and stay up all night changing code.

Any tips or ideas for making this work? Is it possible? I have code for
updating the code modules that should almost work but I've no idea how to
expose a constant across multiple apps.

TIA

Roz

"DSMP Mission - Building the future of Barclays computing infrastructure.
4K
customers won in 2007, 10k+ to delight in 2008."



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The Barclays Group does not accept responsibility for any loss arising from unauthorised access to, or interference with, any Internet communications by any third party, or from the transmission of any viruses. Replies to this e-mail may be monitored by the Barclays Group for operational or business reasons.

Any opinion or other information in this e-mail or its attachments that does not relate to the business of the Barclays Group is personal to the sender and is not given or endorsed by the Barclays Group.

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Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP, United Kingdom.

Barclays Bank PLC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.




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