William Benson (VBACreations.Com)
vbacreations at gmail.com
Thu Aug 4 15:09:07 CDT 2011
Here's an analogy - we've all got 'em. Two days ago I was online looking at cars and saw I could get something I wanted for a coupla grand cheaper ... with the only problem being that the car was now in the hands of its third owner, the second one having been an insurance company who had salvaged it due to water damage. Oh yeah, I could take the seller's word for it that only the floor and seats were damaged - no electrical systems were touched - and that he has been using it for 3 years and loving every minute of it. But I just don't want to be "That Guy" that is yawning while a dead fish loosens itself from its moorings inside the engine compartment to come sailing through the vents into my lap. Nope, not even for 2 grand off the already low asking price. Share with your client your heart felt reservations, and let them decide. I am not sure I agree about running from the engagement. But take your best shot at selling them the right project. Maybe start small (what minimum could I build for you from the ground up to convince you to let me go further?) G/L. -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Stuart McLachlan Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 3:21 PM To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving Subject: Re: [AccessD] AC 2007/2010 - Help...this is turning into a research project The bigger risk is that once you start making changes, you are then blamed when the thing does collapse some day. I wouldn't attempt to add new features to the existing wreck. If they wouldn't let me rebuild it properly; I would run, not walk, away from it. I've spent too many years building my reputation to blow it on someone else's garbage. -- Stuart On 4 Aug 2011 at 14:39, Mark Simms wrote: > Dunno.....the existing mess evolved over a period of 2 years. > Interns worked on it...bright Princeton boys, etc., but you get the > picture.... and they wore the most expensive diapers ! > > Access alone looks to be out....the main form would be way too > complex. And...they want: WHAT-IF analysis capability as well !!, best > done in Excel. > > I'm now thinking of adding the requested features with the existing > structural problems in-place. Like adding windows to the Taj > Mahal....and ignoring the cracked walls....that could collapse some > day. The risk is: If I remove one wall and replace it, the whole > shebang could fall down. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd- > > bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby > > Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 1:30 PM > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving > > Subject: Re: [AccessD] AC 2007/2010 - Help...this is turning into a > > research project > > > > Amen! > > > > > > > > John W. Colby > > www.ColbyConsulting.com > > > > On 8/4/2011 11:36 AM, William Benson wrote: > > > I guess i would try to sell them on a complete new design and a > > > split database. Split it. Use automation to bring data into access > > > where > > you can > > > manipulate it more cleanly. I think if you work in a sandbox > > > someone > > else > > > has left their filled diapers all around you might come out with > > > not > > just > > > sand on your feet. > > > On Aug 4, 2011 11:31 AM, "Mark Simms"<marksimms at verizon.net> > > > wrote: > > >> Long story short: > > >> Got a call from an agency....for a "short term" contract to > > >> "clean- > > up" an > > > AC > > >> 2007/2010 application. > > >> > > >> I've finally looked into the plumbing.... > > >> All of the usual....some tables have no keys, some tables have > > client > > >> descriptions as keys, etc, etc. > > >> It was all designed by non-professionals. > > >> > > >> It gets better: Most of the work is done in Excel....it acts as a > > giant > > >> "dashboard"....investment/portfolio management application. > > >> > > >> They are using all of the new Table features with OLEDB > > >> connections > > from > > >> Excel to Access. > > >> A million calculations are being performed against this linkages > > >> in Excel.....25 worksheets total. > > >> > > >> My first task of creating some VBA to update the OLEDB > > >> connections > > took > > > over > > >> 8 hours.....and quite a bit of research. I kept on getting 1004 > > errors for > > >> one of the connections. Here, it turns out that connection was to > > >> a > > Pivot > > >> Table that went directly to an Access table. > > >> Any attempts to update the DataSourceFile property failed via > > >> VBA. However, get this: it could be done thru the GUI. So once > > >> again, I tried researching this....to no avail. It appears this > > >> whole project might become a research > > project.....and > > >> the client wants a defined time-line. > > >> > > >> What do I do ? > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> -- > > >> AccessD mailing list > > >> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > >> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > >> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > -- > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > -- > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > -- AccessD mailing list AccessD at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com