Office XP Developer - Where's the beef?

[deko]

Is there any reason, other than the distributable Access runtime, to use
Office XP developer?

I tried installing it on my system, but apparently I need to install/update
a bunch of components - "Windows Component Update" or something... not sure
I want to do this. What can I do with the Developer edition that I can't do
with the Professional edition?

I found this on the net, but it sounds like marketing hype:

....much of this comes standard with Office XP, but the Developer Edition
supplies a full version of Office XP Professional, along with extra tools
and documentation for developers. Its best value feature is the Access
runtime, which lets you distribute Access database applications
royalty-free. You also get developer versions of SQL Server 2000, Exchange
2000 Server, and Visual SourceSafe 6.0 for managing source code. Another
tool is the Microsoft Development Environment, which lets you create
workflow solutions based on either SQL Server or Exchange. The same tool is
used for Digital Dashboard projects, which allow you to build custom Web
sites or portals using either Exchange or SharePoint Portal Server as the
back-end platform.

Along with mountains of online documentation, Office XP Developer provides
an excellent 700-page book that explains how to develop Office applications.
Another handy feature is the Code Librarian, which has thousands of code
snippets ready for pasting or adapting in your own applications. There is
also the Smart Tag SDK, for developing add-ins that recognize words as they
are typed, and the Packaging Wizard, for easy deployment of an Office
application or add-in. Overall, this product is a must-have if you want to
distribute Access applications or create workflow solutions, and useful for
anyone working on integrated Office XP solutions.

[Tony Toews]

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote:

Is there any reason, other than the distributable Access runtime, to use
Office XP developer?

I tried installing it on my system, but apparently I need to install/update
a bunch of components - "Windows Component Update" or something... not sure
I want to do this. What can I do with the Developer edition that I can't do
with the Professional edition?
Like you point out the biggest thing for Access folks is the distributable Access
runtime.
I found this on the net, but it sounds like marketing hype:

Yeah, well salesmen gotta eat too.

It'd be interesting to find out just how many folks use the extra features.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

[Tony Toews]

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote:

Is there any reason, other than the distributable Access runtime, to use
Office XP developer?

FWIW if you new to runtimes see my Microsoft Access ODE or MOD Runtime Installation
Troubles Tips page at http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/runtime.htm.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

[WindAndWaves]

I have visual studio for office (dev. 2003)

And there is actually lots of useful stuff, but still, the RT is by far the
best. This means that you can create programs for third parties without
them having to buy Access. A huge advantage.

If you don't want to distribute programs, then don't worry.

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:uc*******************@newssvr29.news.prodigy. com...

Is there any reason, other than the distributable Access runtime, to use
Office XP developer?

I tried installing it on my system, but apparently I need to install/update a bunch of components - "Windows Component Update" or something... not sure I want to do this. What can I do with the Developer edition that I can't do with the Professional edition?

I found this on the net, but it sounds like marketing hype:

...much of this comes standard with Office XP, but the Developer Edition
supplies a full version of Office XP Professional, along with extra tools
and documentation for developers. Its best value feature is the Access
runtime, which lets you distribute Access database applications
royalty-free. You also get developer versions of SQL Server 2000, Exchange
2000 Server, and Visual SourceSafe 6.0 for managing source code. Another
tool is the Microsoft Development Environment, which lets you create
workflow solutions based on either SQL Server or Exchange. The same tool is used for Digital Dashboard projects, which allow you to build custom Web
sites or portals using either Exchange or SharePoint Portal Server as the
back-end platform.

Along with mountains of online documentation, Office XP Developer provides
an excellent 700-page book that explains how to develop Office applications. Another handy feature is the Code Librarian, which has thousands of code
snippets ready for pasting or adapting in your own applications. There is
also the Smart Tag SDK, for developing add-ins that recognize words as they are typed, and the Packaging Wizard, for easy deployment of an Office
application or add-in. Overall, this product is a must-have if you want to
distribute Access applications or create workflow solutions, and useful for anyone working on integrated Office XP solutions.

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[Steve Jorgensen]

On Sun, 09 May 2004 22:24:26 GMT, "deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote:

Is there any reason, other than the distributable Access runtime, to use
Office XP developer?

I tried installing it on my system, but apparently I need to install/update
a bunch of components - "Windows Component Update" or something... not sure
I want to do this. What can I do with the Developer edition that I can't do
with the Professional edition?

I found this on the net, but it sounds like marketing hype:

...much of this comes standard with Office XP, but the Developer Edition
supplies a full version of Office XP Professional, along with extra tools
and documentation for developers. Its best value feature is the Access
runtime, which lets you distribute Access database applications
royalty-free. You also get developer versions of SQL Server 2000, Exchange
2000 Server, and Visual SourceSafe 6.0 for managing source code. Another
tool is the Microsoft Development Environment, which lets you create
workflow solutions based on either SQL Server or Exchange. The same tool is
used for Digital Dashboard projects, which allow you to build custom Web
sites or portals using either Exchange or SharePoint Portal Server as the
back-end platform.

Along with mountains of online documentation, Office XP Developer provides
an excellent 700-page book that explains how to develop Office applications.
Another handy feature is the Code Librarian, which has thousands of code
snippets ready for pasting or adapting in your own applications. There is
also the Smart Tag SDK, for developing add-ins that recognize words as they
are typed, and the Packaging Wizard, for easy deployment of an Office
application or add-in. Overall, this product is a must-have if you want to
distribute Access applications or create workflow solutions, and useful for
anyone working on integrated Office XP solutions.

Well, there are a couple of other nice additions One is the SQL Server
Developer edition, including Enterprise Manager and Query Analyzer that don't
come with the Desktop Edition of SQL Server. Also, the ODE tools that include
a Help editor, etc.

[Tony Toews]

Steve Jorgensen <no****@nospam.nospam> wrote:

One is the SQL Server
Developer edition, including Enterprise Manager and Query Analyzer that don't
come with the Desktop Edition of SQL Server.

Ah, that's now $50 US. It was a lot more.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

[Trevor Best]

Tony Toews wrote:

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote:

Is there any reason, other than the distributable Access runtime, to use
Office XP developer?

I found this on the net, but it sounds like marketing hype:

Yeah, well salesmen gotta eat too.

Oh pul-leeeeeeze, they deserve to die... horribly, be brought back to
life then killed all over again mwahahahahahahahahahahahaha :-)
(for any wannabe FBI types out there, spot the smiley).
It'd be interesting to find out just how many folks use the extra features.

SCC Integration.

I used to use Source Shi^h^h^h Safe but now use StarTeam, you could use
a lot of other source control products this way like Perforce but
apparently the salesmen for those products don't know that hehe.

--
Error reading sig - A)bort R)etry I)nfluence with large hammer

[david epsom dot com dot au]

> I used to use Source Shi^h^h^h Safe but now use StarTeam, you could use

a lot of other source control products this way like Perforce but
apparently the salesmen for those products don't know that hehe.
Star Team has a COM interface that integerates into the Access Menu System?

(david)
"Trevor Best" <nospam@localhost> wrote in message
news:40***********************@auth.uk.news.easyne t.net... Tony Toews wrote:

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote:

Is there any reason, other than the distributable Access runtime, to use
Office XP developer?
>

I found this on the net, but it sounds like marketing hype:

Yeah, well salesmen gotta eat too.

Oh pul-leeeeeeze, they deserve to die... horribly, be brought back to
life then killed all over again mwahahahahahahahahahahahaha :-)
(for any wannabe FBI types out there, spot the smiley).

It'd be interesting to find out just how many folks use the extra

features.
SCC Integration.

I used to use Source Shi^h^h^h Safe but now use StarTeam, you could use
a lot of other source control products this way like Perforce but
apparently the salesmen for those products don't know that hehe.

--
Error reading sig - A)bort R)etry I)nfluence with large hammer

[Trevor Best]

david epsom dot com dot au wrote:

I used to use Source Shi^h^h^h Safe but now use StarTeam, you could use
a lot of other source control products this way like Perforce but
apparently the salesmen for those products don't know that hehe.

Star Team has a COM interface that integerates into the Access Menu System?

Yes, it's the SCC integration that connects to VB and V.Interdev, the
same componant in Office developer that connects Access to VSS will also
connect it to StarTeam in this way.

--
Error reading sig - A)bort R)etry I)nfluence with large hammer

[deko]

> And there is actually lots of useful stuff, but still, the RT is by far
the

best. This means that you can create programs for third parties without
them having to buy Access. A huge advantage.

That makes sense. But if the client machine already has Access installed, I
assume that means that you should *not* install the RT - is this correct?
Mostly I develop MDEs for clients with Access already installed - so I'm not
sure what advantage the RT offers in my situation.

[deko]

Thanks for the replies.

It seems the source code control features are popular and the extra tools
for working with MSDE that Steve Jorgensen mentioned sound like they'd be
helpful - if you're building apps with MSDE. But if you don't need the RT
and just want to distribute regular MDBs or MDEs, it appears there's nothing
that can be done with the ODE that can't be done with the Professional
edition - in terms of core application functionality.

What about licenses for ActiveX controls?

For example, if I try to add the Microsoft Common Dialog Control version 6.0
to a form in my Access 2003 mdb, I get an error telling me that I "don't
have the license required to use this ActiveX control".

Do I get additional licenses with the ODE? How can I distribute apps with
these controls?

[Tony Toews]

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote:

And there is actually lots of useful stuff, but still, the RT is by far

the

best. This means that you can create programs for third parties without
them having to buy Access. A huge advantage.

That makes sense. But if the client machine already has Access installed, I
assume that means that you should *not* install the RT - is this correct?
Mostly I develop MDEs for clients with Access already installed - so I'm not
sure what advantage the RT offers in my situation.

None. Other than you can package OCXs, etc with your app and it will copy them
across, create shortcuts on menus and register OCXs.

Tony

--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

[Tony Toews]

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote:

What about licenses for ActiveX controls?

For example, if I try to add the Microsoft Common Dialog Control version 6.0
to a form in my Access 2003 mdb, I get an error telling me that I "don't
have the license required to use this ActiveX control".

Do I get additional licenses with the ODE? How can I distribute apps with
these controls?

Except for the ADE 2003. I think those are missing.

Besides you want to avoid them if at all possible.

How do you get rid of troublesome references?
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/referencetroubles.htm

Tony

--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

[deko]

> None. Other than you can package OCXs, etc with your app and it will copy
them

across, create shortcuts on menus and register OCXs.

I've been doing this with the Windows Installer - I can test to see if the
OCX is there or not, then and copy it to the target machine and register it
if it's not.

[deko]

> Besides you want to avoid them if at all possible.

Why? The Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0 is great. All I have
to do is copy the OCX to the target machine - seems to work fine.

[Tony Toews]

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote:

Besides you want to avoid them if at all possible.

Why? The Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0 is great. All I have
to do is copy the OCX to the target machine - seems to work fine.

Actually that one seems to be stabler than most of the other MS controls. Sooner or
later you'll run into a target system with a newer version and it'll puke. Or some
other software running on the target system requires the older version which your
software breaks.

Tony

--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

[deko]

"deko" <no****@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Zo*****************@newssvr27.news.prodigy.co m...

Besides you want to avoid them if at all possible.

Why? The Microsoft Date and Time Picker Control 6.0 is great. All I have
to do is copy the OCX to the target machine - seems to work fine.

Correction: The Date and Time Picker Control sucks. I just got done
reworking 2 forms - now they use the Microsoft Calendar Control (C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Office\Office[version]\MSCAL.OCX). Too many headaches with
the other one not working on some machines.

There's a KB article
(http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;208283) that's not
much help, but it seems to suggest that ActiveX controls are not all that
reliable. I noticed that after dropping in the Calendar Control on a form,
a reference appears in Tools >> References - that was not checked, nor even
in the list of available references, prior to adding the control to the
form. I unchecked the reference. Seems to be working okay so far...