Multiusers accessing forms

[tkba]

Hi All,

I am very new to access. I have created a database in MS Access and few tables need to be updated based on the information that is going to be filled in by users. Here is what I have done.

1. Created tables in database
2. Created forms for all the tables
3. Created a Main Menu using switchboard which can be used by the users to access the different forms to be filled in by them.

What I am looking for is to have this Main Menu switchboard installed on all users PC as an icon so that with a click they can see the screen and select whichever form they want to fill the information in, which in turn will update the data in tables

I am not really sure if this is possible or if there is any other way to do that.

I am familiar that a backend database and a frontend database can be created but not sure how can this be done either.

I have never done coding and very new to access so any help would be greatly apprecitaed.

Thanks,
TK

[nico5038]

To activate your mainform, open the Tools/Startup... menu and select the form's name in the combobox "Display Form/Page"

That's all needed to make sure it will appear when the Access desktop icon for your application is pressed. Changing the icon can be done using the right_click and selecting the properties of the icon on the desktop.

Splitting the database is another story. It will create an additional database with just the data and connect the tables. When you want multiple users you can chose on a fast network to place the .mdb on a general (server) folder and have people access that, in a spiltted database situation you place the backend on the server and distribute the frontend to your users.
This will require the connection (Tools/Database utilities/Linked table manager) to be set.

Nic;o)

[BradHodge]

Once your tables and forms are created in the database, you can use the Database splitter to break out the data (the tables) into a backend.

Go to TOOLS - DATABASE UTILITIES - DATABASE SPLITTER. Tell it you want to split the database. It will prompt you for a location and name for the backend. If you don't specify a name, it will give it the name of your database with _be.mdb tacked onto it.

Once you do this, all your tables will have an arrow beside them showing that they are linked tables. If you create any new tables after that, you should create them in the backend database and then link your front end to them.

Once you have a front end and backend of the database, you can simply load the front end onto your users C:\ drive. They will then be able to access the forms to enter data and should not have difficulty even if multiple users are access the database at the same time (although like anything else... there are limits to this :).

Make sure that all of the users have access to the backend database. In otherwords... if it is on a server, they should all be able to read and write to that folder.

This should get you started. Hollar if you have more questions.

Brad.

[tkba]

Thanks a lot Nic and Brad.

I have one more question: Can an executable file be created and installed on the users PCs. I basically want to do this because I dont want my users to access forms thriugh the database.

Also can I add a calendar button to the date fileds in my form

Please help.

Regards,
TK

[BradHodge]

With regards to the executable, I have had success with Tony Toews AutoFeUpdater application. It allows the user to always have the most up to date front end without you needing to go out and up date their PC manually.

The calendar I have been using was created by Allen Browne

Hope this helps,
Brad.