[AccessD] Is it over for desktop apps?

Sun Sep 11 21:56:34 CDT 2022

So the FEs all live on the local client box.

All of my apps like this have a 'link checker' which runs when you open the
app.  If it doesn't find the link it opens the 'open file dialog box' which
prompts the user to navigate to the BE file.  Then the tables are
relinked.  I usually also put a button on the main menu to 'open a
different database', in case they want to change BEs to do a 'what if' for
example.

I can send you this code if you like.

When I update the FE I send it to them, they copy it into their FE folder,
ru it and since it doesn't 'see' the BE (the tables are pointing to the BE
on my box, of course), the 'open file' dialog box is triggered allowing
them to point to the live BE on their server, relink happens, and walla!

r

On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 5:03 PM Arthur Fuller <fuller.artful at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hey Rocky,
>
> Thanks for your input. But I also need a bit of the nuts-and-bolts. How do
> you deploy said apps? BE on a server, presumably, but what about the FEs?
> Do you give them a link from which to download the current virginm or
> physically copy said FEs to the clients's boxes, or something like that?
>
> On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 6:44 PM Rocky Smolin <rockysmolin2 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Don't see any 'war' here.  Just a good discussion brewing.
> >
> > All the apps I have written have the FE on the client and the BE on the
> > server.
> >
> > Some of those clients are remote.
> >
> > r
> >
> > On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 12:07 PM Arthur Fuller <fuller.artful at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Rocky,
> > >
> > > I am really not trying to start a culture war here. Where does the FE
> > > reside on those apps you mentioned? Locally (including local server) or
> > in
> > > the cloud?
> > >
> > > On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 2:58 PM Rocky Smolin <rockysmolin2 at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > I have written desktop apps that, without any 'remoting' architecture
> > are
> > > > used by remote users calling in to my clients' servers. So they are
> 'in
> > > the
> > > > cloud' but my app is a desktop app.  So how would you score that one?
> > > >
> > > > r
> > > >
> > > > On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 11:54 AM Arthur Fuller <
> > fuller.artful at gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Dear John,
> > > > >
> > > > > Wow I guess you've heard that opening to a letter or email
> hitherto.
> > 😀
> > > > >
> > > > > We are all quite aware of the lack of connectivity. You failed to
> > > answer
> > > > my
> > > > > question: have YOU written any desktop apps (in the past decade or
> > so)?
> > > > >
> > > > > On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 2:35 PM John Colby <jwcolby at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > There are millions of Americans that have zero access to the
> > > internet.
> > > > > > There are BILLIONS of human beings with zero access to the
> > internet.
> > > > > Nuff
> > > > > > said.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Sun, Sep 11, 2022 at 12:17 PM Arthur Fuller <
> > > > fuller.artful at gmail.com>
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Recently I came across (on Quora) the following remark
> regarding
> > > > fully
> > > > > > > fledged desktop applications. "Personally I think those days
> are
> > > > nearly
> > > > > > > over and it would be best to move to the cloud straight away."
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Although technically I am retired and have been so for a number
> > of
> > > > > > years, I
> > > > > > > spent a good number of years developing desktop apps, primarily
> > in
> > > > > Access
> > > > > > > but also in a couple of other languages.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The term "desktop apps" includes both strictly desktop (both FE
> > and
> > > > BE
> > > > > on
> > > > > > > the same machine) and apps that live on a small network, with
> the
> > > BE
> > > > > > living
> > > > > > > on a server. I have never written an app that lives in the
> cloud,
> > > > even
> > > > > > > though I have a license to MS 365. Mostly my experience with
> the
> > > > cloud
> > > > > is
> > > > > > > off-site backup. I tend to develop locally, so to speak, and
> then
> > > > copy
> > > > > to
> > > > > > > OneDrive frequently.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I'm curious as to your experience.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > 1. Do you develop apps for use on the cloud? If so,
> approximately
> > > > what
> > > > > > > percentage of your apps live there?
> > > > > > > 2. Assuming that the client of interest has an internet
> > connection,
> > > > is
> > > > > > > there any reason to develop your apps *not *for the cloud?
> > > > > > > 3. Are there shortcomings (specifically with Office in mind) to
> > > > > > > cloud-based-apps that desktops apps do not suffer? I mention
> > Office
> > > > > > because
> > > > > > > many if not most of the apps I've written in the past couple of
> > > > decades
> > > > > > > have consisted of pieces written in Access, Word and Excel; a
> few
> > > of
> > > > > > these
> > > > > > > are quite elaborate, involving exports to Excel first, then
> > > creating
> > > > > > tables
> > > > > > > within Word documents, formatted according to standards
> mandated
> > by
> > > > > > various
> > > > > > > provincial governments, and in Canada that may also involve
> > > > translation
> > > > > > > from English to French.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Let's stick to Access, for the moment. I have only a little
> > > > experience
> > > > > > > deploying apps to hundreds or thousands of users. Mainly I've
> > > worked
> > > > > with
> > > > > > > smallish corporations or government branches with, give or
> take,
> > a
> > > > > > hundred
> > > > > > > users in a few cities, all connected to a Windows Terminal
> > Server.
> > > My
> > > > > > > thoughts back then were that the FE should reside locally, on
> > each
> > > > box;
> > > > > > and
> > > > > > > I took the time to create a self-extracting EXE which would
> > deposit
> > > > the
> > > > > > > latest install or update locally, with its connection to the
> > server
> > > > > baked
> > > > > > > in.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Bear in mind that in a couple of months I'll be 75yo, and so
> have
> > > > > > probably
> > > > > > > --nay, certainly -- fallen far behind current thinking and
> > > > > technologies.
> > > > > > So
> > > > > > > I'm asking for you to help me patch and paddle this leaking
> > canoe.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Should I be thinking exclusively in terms of the cloud? Is it
> > > > > essentially
> > > > > > > over for local servers (one per office, approximately)? If so,
> > does
> > > > > that
> > > > > > > mean that the market for local servers is over? What advantage
> is
> > > to
> > > > be
> > > > > > > gained, if any, by having a local server, as opposed to running
> > it
> > > > all
> > > > > on
> > > > > > > the cloud?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > And now we return to the classic question, albeit with a cloudy
> > > > twist.
> > > > > > > Should the FE reside in the cloud, as well as the BE?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > And finally, can I copyright the name McCloud? Of course, I
> > dropped
> > > > the
> > > > > > "e"
> > > > > > > and I know it! I am also confused by the spellings of "McX" and
> > > > "MacX",
> > > > > > > wherein "X" stands for anything from "Donald" to "Hoolihan" to
> > > > > > "Robertson"
> > > > > > > and any other letters I've left out -- oops, cannot omit Mathew
> > > > Matthew
> > > > > > > McConnaughey. There are names of towns in Wales easier to spell
> > > than
> > > > > > > Matthew's surname. It's only fair: you can't be that handsome
> and
> > > > have
> > > > > a
> > > > > > > name like "Bill Smith" or even worse, "Arthur Fuller.
> > > > > > > *Back to the Cloud*, the original subject of this admittedly
> > > > incherent
> > > > > > > message. As so accused, I plead Guilty to the charge of
> > > Incoherence.
> > > > In
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > > past month, I have suffered two strokes, and while still able
> to
> > > > speak
> > > > > > and
> > > > > > > type, walking has become an issue. As William Burroughs said,
> "If
> > > I'd
> > > > > > known
> > > > > > > I were going to live this long, I should have taken better care
> > of
> > > > > > myself."
> > > > > > > (Being a fussbudget, I corrected his spelling.)
> > > > > > > New idea for the next Olympics: Aquatic Spelling Bees. The
> > > > contestants
> > > > > > wear
> > > > > > > waterproof earphones and listen to the words to spell, and then
> > > > > enunciate
> > > > > > > them underwater -- something similar to two divers trying to
> > > > > communicate
> > > > > > > distress while two hundred feet beneath the water's surface.
> That
> > > > could
> > > > > > be
> > > > > > > serious fun!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > Arthur
> > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > AccessD mailing list
> > > > > > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
> > > > > > > https://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
> > > > > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > John W. Colby
> > > > > > Colby Consulting
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > AccessD mailing list
> > > > > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
> > > > > > https://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
> > > > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Arthur
> > > > > --
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> > > > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
> > > > > https://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
> > > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> > > > >
> > > > --
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> > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Arthur
> > > --
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> > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> > >
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> >
>
>
> --
> Arthur
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