Hack #56. Distribute a Split Database with Predefined Table Links
If you follow this interesting distribution game plan, users will not have to link their local database files to the data tables on the system.
The technique known as database splitting, which involves a tables-only back-end Access file on a network share, copies of front-end Access files (with forms, reports, and so on) on each user's C:\ drive, and the use of linked tables, has been around for quite some time. The benefits of such client/server database configurations are widely known and documented.
However, it can be a challenge to deal with split databases during periods of frequent updates, especially during the development phase. For some users, their Office installation doesn't even include the Linked Table Manager, so they can get prompted for the Office installation CD when they attempt to refresh and change links. Other users might simply be uncomfortable or unfamiliar with how linked tables work. Frequent relinking, especially for users who were used to just sharing an MDB from one location, can be problematic.
When frequent rounds of revisions are being submitted to end users during the initial prototyping stage of development, it makes sense to keep the project in only one file. But once the data model is signed off, it's time to split the database. You can do this in two ways:
Make a copy of the database so that you have two identical copies. In one copy, delete the tables. In the other copy, delete ...
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