UK AUG Community

Hi Tony,

 

The site you have found is  a partnership that I have with AccessHosting, so the databases come through to me for conversion and quoting a price for the conversion.

 

Some time ago I extended my MUST technologies to perform automatic conversions of Access databases to Access Web Databases (MUST+SP), this is not a product but a service that I provide. The service involves taking your database and converting it, and then publishing it to our test servers. Then I delete it from the test servers. This means that I can say with 100% certainty your database can be converted and published, at which point I give you a quote for the conversion. I also provide a report indicating the detailed conversion changes made to your database as part of the conversion process.

 

The conversion price I charge depends on the work involved, so far all conversions have been charged at around $450 - $600. Sometimes people get me to also build them some web components to get them started, this is charged separately. The conversion ONLY converts and publishes the data.

 

If you are interested in getting a quote or have any question then either contact me directly, or go through Access Hosting.

 

Regards

 

Andy Couch
HYPERLINK "mailto:andy

 

 

Subject: AccessConverter

 

Hi, All

 

I’ve come across a web site http://www.access2010converter.com/ but cannot see whether it’s an independent company or a part of Microsoft, or any reference to price. Has anyone used this site?

 

Tony Vile

CCS DataCare

Dundee

01382 581024

0771 9600332

Tony,

As Andrew W wrote, it is aligned with AccessHosting.com. At the bottom of their web page, it makes this explicit. It won’t be anything to do with Microsoft. It looks too useful (reminds self to see if Microsoft have published anything about Access Web Database reports using Office365 yet).

 

Alan

 

Subject: AccessConverter

 

Hi, All

 

I’ve come across a web site http://www.access2010converter.com/ but cannot see whether it’s an independent company or a part of Microsoft, or any reference to price. Has anyone used this site?

 

Tony Vile

CCS DataCare

Dundee

01382 581024

0771 9600332

Tony

I don't see that my views have changed that much with regard to which is the right technology.

Where my view has changed is that some of the automated scaffolding is now there, making using MVC to get up and running with a basic table by table CRUD app easy.

The other thing that has changed is that it seems, judging (or misjudging?) from the post on this list, that Web Databases are even more limited than I thought they were and a bit of a nightmare to implement.

Is that what you meant, or am I deluding myself if not you?
 
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew />
  _____  

Subject: RE: Web databases (as I see it) << Andrew Wrigley >>; AUG web site deficiency

Andrew

1. Looking for the words "Access ... Converter" in Outlook I came across
your ListServer post of just over a year ago. Given any changes since and
maturing of experience within the list server, your views have been modified
much.

2. You see, this is where in my view the web site needs contributions. We
have valuable links on it but none which lead us to current thinking on what
is a very fluid product situation. There are a handful of members who are
keeping us small developers from going down the wrong avenues and false
trails.  And there's no doubt that the situation is going to get worse with
the advent of the cloud.

3. Having read the recent discussion on other options I am considering
investing time in starting again with "Access 2010 Inside Out" and going
through the 1400+ pages. Am I doing the right thing as regards the web
aspects of the prog or am I wasting my time? Around 20 years ago I upgraded
to dBASE5, which was an excellent upgrade from dBASE IV and put time into
it, but it was too late. They then produced a Windows version which along
with the other DOS progs such as Paradox and DataEase eventually perished
with the coming of Visual Basic.

Tony Vile


-----Original Message-----
Subject: Web databases (as I see it) << Andrew Wrigley >>

Contribution By : Andrew Wrigley : HYPERLINK "mailto:awrigley I have listened in on
the chatter on this list about web databases. 

It seems to me as follows:

1.  WDs will make a lot of basic online data input easy.  So they will be a
success with Access developers with no web skills.

2.  The minute the client asks for more features, you hit a brick wall.

3.  The minute the client says:  "I want this to match the branding and
layout of my site" you hit a brick wall.

So, as in all good tragedies, all goes swimmingly well in the early stages
until life starts to catch up.

My impression, reasoned below, is that it is far better to invest in
learning to build domain models using the .NET Entity Framework or LINQ to
SQL than investing in learning a cumbersome technology like SharePoint.

I say this because I am not so certain of the technologies involved (eg,
SharePoint), and (more relevant to the developer) I am not so sure it is the
best option for the developer or the client.

I recently looked at a product that took an Entity Framework domain model
and converted it into a fully working ASP.NET MVC app in two minutes.  The
result was a lot more powerful than any web database, it doesn't need
SharePoint, you could use the client's website's masterpages, etc, etc. 

The only skill the developer needed to acquire is using Entity Framework to
build the domain model.  Which is as close to database work as the web can
get and it is a technology with a lot of future in it, and a very good entry
point for Access developers to get into the web.

The main problem with WDs, in terms of developer skill sets, is that you are
learning an implementation rather than increasing your understanding of the
problems you are dealing with.  Increased understanding leads to better
apps, happier clients.

On the other hand, ASP.NET, in any flavour, is a hard skill to acquire.
However, the Entity Framework is a much more focused and straight forward
entry point into that world. 

With a flood of products, from Microsoft and others, that will pretty much
automate CRUD apps, it seems more sensible to learn the Entity Framework
back to front than SharePoint and Web Databases.

My summary is:

Cons:

1.  SharePoint is a cumbersome, implementation heavy technology and any
technology based on that will inherit those problems.

2.  There is a limited market and range of applicability for WDs.  These
days, clients expect their websites to do everything websites do.  They
don't want to hear that the technology they are paying for doesn't "support
it".  In this instance, at least, the client is right.

3.  With any SharePoint based technology, you will learn an implementation.
This does not broaden your skills, nor does it lead you to a better
understanding of the problems you are modelling in your apps.

4.  The minute the client wants something extra, as will be their
expectation, you have got egg on your face.

Pros:

1. The job will happen quickly and with your current skill set.

2. A lot of businesses use SharePoint already.

3. You can learn about building domain models with the Entity Framework
whilst earning money with WDs.

But make no mistake.  There will be a huge flood of these automated
converters coming.  Not to mention the ones already there, such as ASP.NET
Dynamic Data.
Set against those technologies, WDs are a very poor cousin.
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />: Charset is us-ascii : Content text/plain : Encoding

Andrew

1. Looking for the words "Access ... Converter" in Outlook I came across your ListServer post of just over a year ago. Given any changes since and maturing of experience within the list server, your views have been modified much.

2. You see, this is where in my view the web site needs contributions. We have valuable links on it but none which lead us to current thinking on what is a very fluid product situation. There are a handful of members who are keeping us small developers from going down the wrong avenues and false trails. And there's no doubt that the situation is going to get worse with the advent of the cloud.

3. Having read the recent discussion on other options I am considering investing time in starting again with "Access 2010 Inside Out" and going through the 1400+ pages. Am I doing the right thing as regards the web aspects of the prog or am I wasting my time? Around 20 years ago I upgraded to dBASE5, which was an excellent upgrade from dBASE IV and put time into it, but it was too late. They then produced a Windows version which along with the other DOS progs such as Paradox and DataEase eventually perished with the coming of Visual Basic.

Tony Vile


-----Original Message-----
Subject: Web databases (as I see it) << Andrew Wrigley >>

Contribution By : Andrew Wrigley : awrigley I have listened in on the chatter on this list about web databases.

It seems to me as follows:

1. WDs will make a lot of basic online data input easy. So they will be a success with Access developers with no web skills.

2. The minute the client asks for more features, you hit a brick wall.

3. The minute the client says: "I want this to match the branding and layout of my site" you hit a brick wall.

So, as in all good tragedies, all goes swimmingly well in the early stages until life starts to catch up.

My impression, reasoned below, is that it is far better to invest in learning to build domain models using the .NET Entity Framework or LINQ to SQL than investing in learning a cumbersome technology like SharePoint.

I say this because I am not so certain of the technologies involved (eg, SharePoint), and (more relevant to the developer) I am not so sure it is the best option for the developer or the client.

I recently looked at a product that took an Entity Framework domain model and converted it into a fully working ASP.NET MVC app in two minutes. The result was a lot more powerful than any web database, it doesn't need SharePoint, you could use the client's website's masterpages, etc, etc.

The only skill the developer needed to acquire is using Entity Framework to build the domain model. Which is as close to database work as the web can get and it is a technology with a lot of future in it, and a very good entry point for Access developers to get into the web.

The main problem with WDs, in terms of developer skill sets, is that you are learning an implementation rather than increasing your understanding of the problems you are dealing with. Increased understanding leads to better apps, happier clients.

On the other hand, ASP.NET, in any flavour, is a hard skill to acquire.
However, the Entity Framework is a much more focused and straight forward entry point into that world.

With a flood of products, from Microsoft and others, that will pretty much automate CRUD apps, it seems more sensible to learn the Entity Framework back to front than SharePoint and Web Databases.

My summary is:

Cons:

1. SharePoint is a cumbersome, implementation heavy technology and any technology based on that will inherit those problems.

2. There is a limited market and range of applicability for WDs. These days, clients expect their websites to do everything websites do. They don't want to hear that the technology they are paying for doesn't "support it". In this instance, at least, the client is right.

3. With any SharePoint based technology, you will learn an implementation.
This does not broaden your skills, nor does it lead you to a better understanding of the problems you are modelling in your apps.

4. The minute the client wants something extra, as will be their expectation, you have got egg on your face.

Pros:

1. The job will happen quickly and with your current skill set.

2. A lot of businesses use SharePoint already.

3. You can learn about building domain models with the Entity Framework whilst earning money with WDs.

But make no mistake. There will be a huge flood of these automated converters coming. Not to mention the ones already there, such as ASP.NET Dynamic Data.
Set against those technologies, WDs are a very poor cousin.
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew /> : Charset is us-ascii : Content text/plain : Encoding

Hi All

 

Has anyone come across this message?

 

I have a bound form in Access 2007 attached via an ODBC link to a view in a SQL 2008 database.

 

I keep getting this message when I return to edit a record in a subform that I have previously edited. There is no code in the After Update event. There are no triggers and no stored procedures which could somehow be running and updating the record. No-one else is using the database.

 

I have relinked all of the views and tables immediately before using the form

 

SQL Profiler doesn’t shed any light on what is going on

 

 

Any thoughts of any kind would be very welcome

 

Best wishes

 

George Davies

 

Hi John

 

Yes all of the underlying tables have timestamp fields

 

The problem arises when I make a change to a value on the datasheet on the subform, then go down a couple of rows and make a change to a different record and then move back up to the first record and attempt to correct the first record.

 

Thanks very much for replying.

 

George

 

 

  _____  

Subject: RE: The data has been changed

 

I take it that the Tables all have a Timestamp field?  I’m not sure what you mean by ‘return to edit’.

John

 

Subject: The data has been changed

 

Hi All

 

Has anyone come across this message?

 

I have a bound form in Access 2007 attached via an ODBC link to a view in a SQL 2008 database.

 

I keep getting this message when I return to edit a record in a subform that I have previously edited. There is no code in the After Update event. There are no triggers and no stored procedures which could somehow be running and updating the record. No-one else is using the database.

 

Hi, All

 

An interesting article which contains the comment: “Some developer pundits liken LightSwitch to a code generation tool. Others suggest opinions that LightSwitch is a glorified Microsoft Access. Subjective as it may seem, it’s my opinion that LightSwitch is simply a tool and should not be looked upon as a replacement for anything. Regardless at what way you look at it, LightSwitch is a development tool, plain and simple.”

 

http://www.paulspatterson.com/technology/lightswitch/make-money-with-microsoft-lightswitch/

 

As regards reporting DevExpress seem to have a tool to do that:

 

http://www.devexpress.com/Subscriptions/DXperience/WhatsNew2011v1/index.xml?page=2

 

So presumably you end up spending more money!

 

Also reference to Silverlight http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/lightswitchgeneral/thread/6dc298de-9e92-4e61-ba4e-e04dcdcb7be1/ with the comment: “I assume that you understand that LightSwitch doesn't have any native support for printing. I can't think of any reason that you couldn't create a Silverlight control to do it, though - I know I've seen a third-party Silverlight reporting component on Visual Studio Gallery, although I haven't tried it.”

 

Tony Vile

1.  Lightswitch is is based on silverlight.  MVC is based on ASP.NET.  They are very different technologies.  Simplifying, you would use MVC if you want to integrate with the rest of a client's website and wanted to follow a website app style / philosophy of development.


2.  The database could be hosted:  by the client themselves, IF they have a decent IT infrastructure and support.  That works well if you Access app also wants to hook into the back end.  Or else on a professionally webserver and you would synch the two databases (web back end and back end for local business software).


3.  Garry Robinson's suggestion (citrix) works well if you have a fixed number of people connecting over the internet (eg, travelling sales team, home workers, etc).  If you envisage a larger number of connections, with potentially unknown people registering and connecting, then the webserver becomes a requirement.
 
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew />
  _____  

Subject: RE: MVC3 (formerly Lightswitch Manual)


OK, chaps, I surrender! This is going to be an enormous help in deciding where I allocate my time.
 
1.       The heading to this correspondence has changed to “MVC3 (formerly Lightswitch Manual)”. Where does the divergence come in and what are the distinctions between the two?
2.       Where would one normally host the database? Would it be one’s web site host, Dropbox, Windows Live?
 
Cheers
 
Tony
 
Subject: RE: MVC3 (formerly Lightswitch Manual)
 
 
Oh absolutely, a knowledge of C# certainly helps a lot when you start moving out into the wider world regarding examples. And regarding C# being simple: much simpler to read for VB-ers than C++ for most stuff, and looking more like that with the next iteration I gather.
 
So, Power Tools: which do you consider "must haves" then Andrew? I've not really explored them as I've got the VS-based projects I've worked on done without them so far. I'd be very interested to see what stuff may well be of great use in getting CRUD systems out there faster.
Cheers

Charlie
  _____  

Subject: Re: MVC3 (formerly Lightswitch Manual)
Fair 'nough.  But go beyond the basics and you see 100 samples in C# for one in VB;  the best MVC book I've seen is in C#.  And if jQuery syntax is simple... well so is C#!
 
I think you're right about VS 2010 SP1, I think that has most things.  Don't think it has any of the Power Tools though, which are a must have.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: RE: MVC3 (formerly Lightswitch Manual)
Andrew
 
I disagree with the having to learn C# in order to learn the JQuery UI stuff as it's so simple for all the basic effects it's akin to using a properties form, with an extensive array of examples out there. Of course, if you have a sound knowledge of C (any flavour) then you're less likely to make a javascript error and a broader knowledge of languages nearly always helps.
 
I'm currently embarked upon a VB implementation using MVC3 and the Razor engine (my first). Getting started I ploughed through the examples at the asp.net mvc site, which were available in VB for the demonstrator projects, and also in a lot of other instances (more so for MVC3 than the previous iteration from memory). Also, generating an entity model from an existing database means a CRUD site can be scaffolded in very short time without using the Dynamic Data packages.
 
The thing I found hardest to get my head around was the use of lambda functions: using them is easy when you know what they are doing but understanding how they are parsed and processed... I find earplugs help keep my brain from dribbling out of my ears.
 
Oh, back down the trail I think someone mentioned stuff about having to load loads of different packages and the like. As of VS2010 SP1 I think that's all been added in. The latest release of MVC3 requires SP1 but beyond that has everything in place. The only issue I had getting up and running was the Web Installer: didn't work but simply downloading the full msi file was fine. Oh, and making sure you rebuild after making any changes to the entity model(s)... that had me waste a few hours of wondering why nothing would scaffold.
Cheers

Charlie
  _____  

Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual
Tony
 
The learning resources you need are primarily:
 
1.  Pro ASP.NET MVC 3 Framework (Adam Freeman and Steve Sanderson, Apress).  This assumes you know c#, so you may need a book on that.
 
2.  HYPERLINK "http://www.stackoverflow.com"www.stackoverflow.com:  Q&A site that takes a bit of getting used to, but great to ask questions on and get working answers.  Most google searches end up highlighting a question on stackoverflow.
 
3.  Other books:  you need an HTML for dummies book, a CSS for dummies book.  Once you want to design a production web app, you will need to understand jQuery, and how to use things like the jQuery datepicker plug in.
 
If you are just interested in getting a table by table crud facility for your db, you should probably use Dynamic Data.  This will integrate with MVC, but you need to merge the web.config files.  If there isn't already, there will soon be NuGet packages for doing this.
 
A lot of Access people want to use VB.NET when they start with .NET.  I'm not so sure.  You need to learn jQuery that uses the curly bracket scope identifiers, so you might as well bite the bullet and go with C#.  Most of the samples on the internet are in c#, most of the questions on stackoverflow are in c#, etc, etc.  I hate the VB syntax, but that is just me...
 
Once you have waded through all that, and have a client with a specific requirement, we could give you a training session to get you up to speed.  It would have to be in C# though...
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch manual
Andrew
 
Once again many thanks: that’s brilliant, a huge help. I’m going to try to spend regular bits of time on it, as much to get into understanding the cloud as anything else. But I’m bearing in mind the limitations that have already been pointed out so far. I’ve looked up the meaning of “scaffold” so am another step further along the way this morning!
 
Cheers
 
Tony
 
Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual
 
Tony
 
This version of VS requires a couple of extras that you need to install to get it really working.  Can't remember what these are...  would need a clean install to see what is missing.  It is a once off though and VS.Next will not have that issue...  
 
You then need to have a vague notion of NuGet is and how to use it.
 
Then you need to download the Entity Framework Power Tools CTP.
 
Then get the NuGet T4MVC package for your project.
 
Then get the NuGet MvcScaffolding package for your project.
 
Use the Reverse Engineer Entity Framework Classes menu item to get the entities and their mapping.
 
Then Scaffold your controllers for your entities.
 
Then figure out what the Scaffolder did wrong and fix it.
 
Done (for basic table per table crud that is).
 
To get that much you don't need to know html, css, jquery, c#, vb.net.  You need to understand databases, and have a vague idea of .Net.  And a bit of help, but not much.
 
Oh, and you need a webserver and an internet facing SQL Server database.
 
Probably as painful as learning web databases, but much more rewarding.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch manual
Andrew
 
Thanks for all that. These discussions are a huge help in trying to edge towards the right direction. So for MVC what is the starting point, the very beginning if one hasn’t stepped out of Access? Is it Visual Studio Express as the HYPERLINK "http://www.asp.net/mvc"www.asp.net/mvc offers a button to install?
 
Cheers
 
Tony
 
Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual
 
I wouldn't say Access isn't scalable.  The problem I have is when you need to put data and data entry on the web.  How do you integrate that with Access?  And how does the Access developer make the leap from the desktop to the web?
 
MS's answer to both questions is WebDatabases.  I am sceptical of this because it involves a host of other technologies, not least of which is SharePoint, for a limited functionality.  It just smells, to me at least, like one of those technologies that MS will dump in due course because "uptake was poor".  Uptake WILL be poor because the functionality is limited, and you need yet another hosting setup to run the thing.
 
Lightswitch, Dynamic Data and MVC all run on a plain old web server.  No sharepoint or special deals.
 
Andy Couch has clocked LightSwitch on the head.  So that leaves the other two.  In my opinion that is.
 
Access Developers would need new skills, but so they do with WebDatabases.  The difference is that the skills for MVC are future proofed:  they definitely have a future and they will become the mainstream.  The other difference is that with VERY LITTLE knowledge, you can Scaffold and tweak an MVC website:  You scaffold the Entity Framework Code First classes.  Then you scaffold the controllers and views for each entity (table in your database).  And voila, with a few tweaks, you have a working app online, that is much more functional and far more extensible than what I understand you can do with Web Databases.
 
The problem is not Access.  The problem is how Access developers tackle their customer's requirements for online data entry and display.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: Lightswitch manual
Hi, All
 
Reading a Lightswitch manual the author makes a comparison between Visual Studio and Access. “Microsoft Access (a part of the Office Plus bundle) provides an easy-to-use approach to create data-centric applications for users with very basic development skills”. I beg your pardon. The largest application that we have handled contained 35,000 lines of code – and that excluded error handling! Recently two people mentioned Access’s limited scalability. What base size does this start from? In 18 years we have only had two systems which should be upgraded to Visual Studio, and that would be because they could then cover multiple hospitals instead of having separate installations. Makes your blood boil. Aaaargh.
 
Tony Vile
CCS DataCare
Dundee
01382 581024
0771 9600332
 
 
 

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Oh absolutely, a knowledge of C# certainly helps a lot when you start moving out into the wider world regarding examples. And regarding C# being simple: much simpler to read for VB-ers than C++ for most stuff, and looking more like that with the next iteration I gather.
 
So, Power Tools: which do you consider "must haves" then Andrew? I've not really explored them as I've got the VS-based projects I've worked on done without them so far. I'd be very interested to see what stuff may well be of great use in getting CRUD systems out there faster.

Cheers

Charlie

  _____  

Subject: Re: MVC3 (formerly Lightswitch Manual)



Fair 'nough.  But go beyond the basics and you see 100 samples in C# for one in VB;  the best MVC book I've seen is in C#.  And if jQuery syntax is simple... well so is C#!


I think you're right about VS 2010 SP1, I think that has most things.  Don't think it has any of the Power Tools though, which are a must have.
 
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew />
  _____  

Subject: RE: MVC3 (formerly Lightswitch Manual)


Andrew
 
I disagree with the having to learn C# in order to learn the JQuery UI stuff as it's so simple for all the basic effects it's akin to using a properties form, with an extensive array of examples out there. Of course, if you have a sound knowledge of C (any flavour) then you're less likely to make a javascript error and a broader knowledge of languages nearly always helps.
 
I'm currently embarked upon a VB implementation using MVC3 and the Razor engine (my first). Getting started I ploughed through the examples at the asp.net mvc site, which were available in VB for the demonstrator projects, and also in a lot of other instances (more so for MVC3 than the previous iteration from memory). Also, generating an entity model from an existing database means a CRUD site can be scaffolded in very short time without using the Dynamic Data packages.
 
The thing I found hardest to get my head around was the use of lambda functions: using them is easy when you know what they are doing but understanding how they are parsed and processed... I find earplugs help keep my brain from dribbling out of my ears.
 
Oh, back down the trail I think someone mentioned stuff about having to load loads of different packages and the like. As of VS2010 SP1 I think that's all been added in. The latest release of MVC3 requires SP1 but beyond that has everything in place. The only issue I had getting up and running was the Web Installer: didn't work but simply downloading the full msi file was fine. Oh, and making sure you rebuild after making any changes to the entity model(s)... that had me waste a few hours of wondering why nothing would scaffold.
Cheers

Charlie
  _____  

Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual


Tony


The learning resources you need are primarily:


1.  Pro ASP.NET MVC 3 Framework (Adam Freeman and Steve Sanderson, Apress).  This assumes you know c#, so you may need a book on that.


2.  www.stackoverflow.com:  Q&A site that takes a bit of getting used to, but great to ask questions on and get working answers.  Most google searches end up highlighting a question on stackoverflow.


3.  Other books:  you need an HTML for dummies book, a CSS for dummies book.  Once you want to design a production web app, you will need to understand jQuery, and how to use things like the jQuery datepicker plug in.


If you are just interested in getting a table by table crud facility for your db, you should probably use Dynamic Data.  This will integrate with MVC, but you need to merge the web.config files.  If there isn't already, there will soon be NuGet packages for doing this.


A lot of Access people want to use VB.NET when they start with .NET.  I'm not so sure.  You need to learn jQuery that uses the curly bracket scope identifiers, so you might as well bite the bullet and go with C#.  Most of the samples on the internet are in c#, most of the questions on stackoverflow are in c#, etc, etc.  I hate the VB syntax, but that is just me...


Once you have waded through all that, and have a client with a specific requirement, we could give you a training session to get you up to speed.  It would have to be in C# though...
 
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew />
  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch manual


Andrew
 
Once again many thanks: that’s brilliant, a huge help. I’m going to try to spend regular bits of time on it, as much to get into understanding the cloud as anything else. But I’m bearing in mind the limitations that have already been pointed out so far. I’ve looked up the meaning of “scaffold” so am another step further along the way this morning!
 
Cheers
 
Tony
 
Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual
 
Tony
 
This version of VS requires a couple of extras that you need to install to get it really working.  Can't remember what these are...  would need a clean install to see what is missing.  It is a once off though and VS.Next will not have that issue...  
 
You then need to have a vague notion of NuGet is and how to use it.
 
Then you need to download the Entity Framework Power Tools CTP.
 
Then get the NuGet T4MVC package for your project.
 
Then get the NuGet MvcScaffolding package for your project.
 
Use the Reverse Engineer Entity Framework Classes menu item to get the entities and their mapping.
 
Then Scaffold your controllers for your entities.
 
Then figure out what the Scaffolder did wrong and fix it.
 
Done (for basic table per table crud that is).
 
To get that much you don't need to know html, css, jquery, c#, vb.net.  You need to understand databases, and have a vague idea of .Net.  And a bit of help, but not much.
 
Oh, and you need a webserver and an internet facing SQL Server database.
 
Probably as painful as learning web databases, but much more rewarding.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch manual
Andrew
 
Thanks for all that. These discussions are a huge help in trying to edge towards the right direction. So for MVC what is the starting point, the very beginning if one hasn’t stepped out of Access? Is it Visual Studio Express as the HYPERLINK "http://www.asp.net/mvc"www.asp.net/mvc offers a button to install?
 
Cheers
 
Tony
 
Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual
 
I wouldn't say Access isn't scalable.  The problem I have is when you need to put data and data entry on the web.  How do you integrate that with Access?  And how does the Access developer make the leap from the desktop to the web?
 
MS's answer to both questions is WebDatabases.  I am sceptical of this because it involves a host of other technologies, not least of which is SharePoint, for a limited functionality.  It just smells, to me at least, like one of those technologies that MS will dump in due course because "uptake was poor".  Uptake WILL be poor because the functionality is limited, and you need yet another hosting setup to run the thing.
 
Lightswitch, Dynamic Data and MVC all run on a plain old web server.  No sharepoint or special deals.
 
Andy Couch has clocked LightSwitch on the head.  So that leaves the other two.  In my opinion that is.
 
Access Developers would need new skills, but so they do with WebDatabases.  The difference is that the skills for MVC are future proofed:  they definitely have a future and they will become the mainstream.  The other difference is that with VERY LITTLE knowledge, you can Scaffold and tweak an MVC website:  You scaffold the Entity Framework Code First classes.  Then you scaffold the controllers and views for each entity (table in your database).  And voila, with a few tweaks, you have a working app online, that is much more functional and far more extensible than what I understand you can do with Web Databases.
 
The problem is not Access.  The problem is how Access developers tackle their customer's requirements for online data entry and display.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: Lightswitch manual
Hi, All
 
Reading a Lightswitch manual the author makes a comparison between Visual Studio and Access. “Microsoft Access (a part of the Office Plus bundle) provides an easy-to-use approach to create data-centric applications for users with very basic development skills”. I beg your pardon. The largest application that we have handled contained 35,000 lines of code – and that excluded error handling! Recently two people mentioned Access’s limited scalability. What base size does this start from? In 18 years we have only had two systems which should be upgraded to Visual Studio, and that would be because they could then cover multiple hospitals instead of having separate installations. Makes your blood boil. Aaaargh.
 
Tony Vile
CCS DataCare
Dundee
01382 581024
0771 9600332
 
 



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Tony


This version of VS requires a couple of extras that you need to install to get it really working.  Can't remember what these are...  would need a clean install to see what is missing.  It is a once off though and VS.Next will not have that issue...  

You then need to have a vague notion of NuGet is and how to use it.

Then you need to download the Entity Framework Power Tools CTP.

Then get the NuGet T4MVC package for your project.

Then get the NuGet MvcScaffolding package for your project.

Use the Reverse Engineer Entity Framework Classes menu item to get the entities and their mapping.

Then Scaffold your controllers for your entities.

Then figure out what the Scaffolder did wrong and fix it.

Done (for basic table per table crud that is).

To get that much you don't need to know html, css, jquery, c#, vb.net.  You need to understand databases, and have a vague idea of .Net.  And a bit of help, but not much.

Oh, and you need a webserver and an internet facing SQL Server database.

Probably as painful as learning web databases, but much more rewarding.
 
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew />
  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch manual


Andrew
 
Thanks for all that. These discussions are a huge help in trying to edge towards the right direction. So for MVC what is the starting point, the very beginning if one hasn’t stepped out of Access? Is it Visual Studio Express as the HYPERLINK "http://www.asp.net/mvc"www.asp.net/mvc offers a button to install?
 
Cheers
 
Tony
 
Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual
 
I wouldn't say Access isn't scalable.  The problem I have is when you need to put data and data entry on the web.  How do you integrate that with Access?  And how does the Access developer make the leap from the desktop to the web?
 
MS's answer to both questions is WebDatabases.  I am sceptical of this because it involves a host of other technologies, not least of which is SharePoint, for a limited functionality.  It just smells, to me at least, like one of those technologies that MS will dump in due course because "uptake was poor".  Uptake WILL be poor because the functionality is limited, and you need yet another hosting setup to run the thing.
 
Lightswitch, Dynamic Data and MVC all run on a plain old web server.  No sharepoint or special deals.
 
Andy Couch has clocked LightSwitch on the head.  So that leaves the other two.  In my opinion that is.
 
Access Developers would need new skills, but so they do with WebDatabases.  The difference is that the skills for MVC are future proofed:  they definitely have a future and they will become the mainstream.  The other difference is that with VERY LITTLE knowledge, you can Scaffold and tweak an MVC website:  You scaffold the Entity Framework Code First classes.  Then you scaffold the controllers and views for each entity (table in your database).  And voila, with a few tweaks, you have a working app online, that is much more functional and far more extensible than what I understand you can do with Web Databases.
 
The problem is not Access.  The problem is how Access developers tackle their customer's requirements for online data entry and display.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: Lightswitch manual
Hi, All
 
Reading a Lightswitch manual the author makes a comparison between Visual Studio and Access. “Microsoft Access (a part of the Office Plus bundle) provides an easy-to-use approach to create data-centric applications for users with very basic development skills”. I beg your pardon. The largest application that we have handled contained 35,000 lines of code – and that excluded error handling! Recently two people mentioned Access’s limited scalability. What base size does this start from? In 18 years we have only had two systems which should be upgraded to Visual Studio, and that would be because they could then cover multiple hospitals instead of having separate installations. Makes your blood boil. Aaaargh.
 
Tony Vile
CCS DataCare
Dundee
01382 581024
0771 9600332
 

Tony


The learning resources you need are primarily:


1.  Pro ASP.NET MVC 3 Framework (Adam Freeman and Steve Sanderson, Apress).  This assumes you know c#, so you may need a book on that.


2.  www.stackoverflow.com:  Q&A site that takes a bit of getting used to, but great to ask questions on and get working answers.  Most google searches end up highlighting a question on stackoverflow.


3.  Other books:  you need an HTML for dummies book, a CSS for dummies book.  Once you want to design a production web app, you will need to understand jQuery, and how to use things like the jQuery datepicker plug in.


If you are just interested in getting a table by table crud facility for your db, you should probably use Dynamic Data.  This will integrate with MVC, but you need to merge the web.config files.  If there isn't already, there will soon be NuGet packages for doing this.


A lot of Access people want to use VB.NET when they start with .NET.  I'm not so sure.  You need to learn jQuery that uses the curly bracket scope identifiers, so you might as well bite the bullet and go with C#.  Most of the samples on the internet are in c#, most of the questions on stackoverflow are in c#, etc, etc.  I hate the VB syntax, but that is just me...


Once you have waded through all that, and have a client with a specific requirement, we could give you a training session to get you up to speed.  It would have to be in C# though...
 
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew />
  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch manual


Andrew
 
Once again many thanks: that’s brilliant, a huge help. I’m going to try to spend regular bits of time on it, as much to get into understanding the cloud as anything else. But I’m bearing in mind the limitations that have already been pointed out so far. I’ve looked up the meaning of “scaffold” so am another step further along the way this morning!
 
Cheers
 
Tony
 
Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual
 
Tony
 
This version of VS requires a couple of extras that you need to install to get it really working.  Can't remember what these are...  would need a clean install to see what is missing.  It is a once off though and VS.Next will not have that issue...  
 
You then need to have a vague notion of NuGet is and how to use it.
 
Then you need to download the Entity Framework Power Tools CTP.
 
Then get the NuGet T4MVC package for your project.
 
Then get the NuGet MvcScaffolding package for your project.
 
Use the Reverse Engineer Entity Framework Classes menu item to get the entities and their mapping.
 
Then Scaffold your controllers for your entities.
 
Then figure out what the Scaffolder did wrong and fix it.
 
Done (for basic table per table crud that is).
 
To get that much you don't need to know html, css, jquery, c#, vb.net.  You need to understand databases, and have a vague idea of .Net.  And a bit of help, but not much.
 
Oh, and you need a webserver and an internet facing SQL Server database.
 
Probably as painful as learning web databases, but much more rewarding.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch manual
Andrew
 
Thanks for all that. These discussions are a huge help in trying to edge towards the right direction. So for MVC what is the starting point, the very beginning if one hasn’t stepped out of Access? Is it Visual Studio Express as the HYPERLINK "http://www.asp.net/mvc"www.asp.net/mvc offers a button to install?
 
Cheers
 
Tony
 
Subject: Re: Lightswitch manual
 
I wouldn't say Access isn't scalable.  The problem I have is when you need to put data and data entry on the web.  How do you integrate that with Access?  And how does the Access developer make the leap from the desktop to the web?
 
MS's answer to both questions is WebDatabases.  I am sceptical of this because it involves a host of other technologies, not least of which is SharePoint, for a limited functionality.  It just smells, to me at least, like one of those technologies that MS will dump in due course because "uptake was poor".  Uptake WILL be poor because the functionality is limited, and you need yet another hosting setup to run the thing.
 
Lightswitch, Dynamic Data and MVC all run on a plain old web server.  No sharepoint or special deals.
 
Andy Couch has clocked LightSwitch on the head.  So that leaves the other two.  In my opinion that is.
 
Access Developers would need new skills, but so they do with WebDatabases.  The difference is that the skills for MVC are future proofed:  they definitely have a future and they will become the mainstream.  The other difference is that with VERY LITTLE knowledge, you can Scaffold and tweak an MVC website:  You scaffold the Entity Framework Code First classes.  Then you scaffold the controllers and views for each entity (table in your database).  And voila, with a few tweaks, you have a working app online, that is much more functional and far more extensible than what I understand you can do with Web Databases.
 
The problem is not Access.  The problem is how Access developers tackle their customer's requirements for online data entry and display.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />  _____  

Subject: Lightswitch manual
Hi, All
 
Reading a Lightswitch manual the author makes a comparison between Visual Studio and Access. “Microsoft Access (a part of the Office Plus bundle) provides an easy-to-use approach to create data-centric applications for users with very basic development skills”. I beg your pardon. The largest application that we have handled contained 35,000 lines of code – and that excluded error handling! Recently two people mentioned Access’s limited scalability. What base size does this start from? In 18 years we have only had two systems which should be upgraded to Visual Studio, and that would be because they could then cover multiple hospitals instead of having separate installations. Makes your blood boil. Aaaargh.
 
Tony Vile
CCS DataCare
Dundee
01382 581024
0771 9600332
 
 

Just ignore this email, and don’t respond, because I am carrying out a test on our SharePoint site.

 

So rather than make the body just meaningless, I wanted to add a comment.

 

I am quite impressed with the new listserver, as we can have attachments, add graphics and don’t have any more emails which look cryptic.

 

 

Regards

 

Andy Couch
HYPERLINK "mailto:andy

 

Microsoft® Access® 2010 VBA Programming Inside Out

http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780735659872

 

Migration Upsizing SQL Tool    : HYPERLINK "http://www.upsizing.co.uk/"www.upsizing.co.uk
ASC Associates : HYPERLINK "http://www.ascassociates.biz/"www.ascassociates.biz

Director UK Access User Group : HYPERLINK "http://www.ukaugcommunity.co.uk/"www.ukaugcommunity.co.uk

 

Description: Description: MVP_Horizontal_BlueOnly

 

Description: ASCLogo_small
ASC Associates, 55 Boothfields, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 8JY, VAT Reg No. 855 9730 80

 

 

One more

 

 

Regards

 

Andy Couch
HYPERLINK "mailto:andy

 

 

Subject: RE: Test by Andy

 

A second test message.

 

 

Regards

 

Andy Couch
HYPERLINK "mailto:andy

 

 

Subject: Test by Andy

 

Just ignore this email, and don’t respond, because I am carrying out a test on our SharePoint site.

 

So rather than make the body just meaningless, I wanted to add a comment.

 

I am quite impressed with the new listserver, as we can have attachments, add graphics and don’t have any more emails which look cryptic.

 

 

Regards

 

Andy Couch
HYPERLINK "mailto:andy

 

Microsoft® Access® 2010 VBA Programming Inside Out

http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780735659872

 

Migration Upsizing SQL Tool    : HYPERLINK "http://www.upsizing.co.uk/"www.upsizing.co.uk
ASC Associates : HYPERLINK "http://www.ascassociates.biz/"www.ascassociates.biz

Director UK Access User Group : HYPERLINK "http://www.ukaugcommunity.co.uk/"www.ukaugcommunity.co.uk

 

Description: Description: MVP_Horizontal_BlueOnly

 

Description: ASCLogo_small
ASC Associates, 55 Boothfields, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 8JY, VAT Reg No. 855 9730 80

 

 

Tony,

I don’t know if there is such a group, but there is an excellent German Access website at http://www.access-im-unternehmen.de/ which seems to have some sort of “community”.

 

Alan

 

Subject: German Access User Group and Sage

 

Andy

 

Do you know whether there’s a German Access user group. The reason I’d like to know is that the potential customer has a subsidiary which is using a German Sage product (in Poland just to make things worse). Would an English ODBC product be able to interface with a German file or is that irrelevant?

 

Cheers

 

Tony

Thanks, Euan and Andrew. This is a great help so far. I’m trying to probe this thing with no previous experience of Sage interfacing.

 

Tony

 

Subject: RE: Sage and Access

 

Hi all

 

I have just completed a system whereby the invoice numbers are ‘complex’ i.e. not just the number 1 after the one before and so have to be generated by the system.  Subsequently we post to Sage via a .csv.  You can export each line of the invoice with text, net, vat and vat code independently whether or not they are destined for the same nominal heading.

 

Regards

 

Eoin

 

 

 

  _____  

Subject: Re: Sage and Access

 

I think the developers kits are a bit cheaper than that at the moment, especially for instant accounts. 

 

I have used Sage Data Objects to create a real time link between Sage Line 50 and access and it works very well. 

 

If you have an Access DB as a sales order processing DB for example which is creating invoices, you can pass the info to Sage which creates a suspended invoice and allocates an invoice number which is then passed back to Access to close the loop. At the end of the day you just need to post the Sage invoices to have a complete record there of your activities. 

 

If you do a csv import I don't believe you can import the line items of each invoice, only the header info and totals. 

With best regards,

 

Andrew

 

Sent from my iPhone


On 17 Aug 2011, at 19:21, John Heaser
When you install Sage Line 50 or Instant Accounts (most versions apart from the most basic)  a read only  ODBC driver is installed.   An ODBC directory is also created  under the Sage directory (usually in Program File)s that has all you need to install the ODBC driver on other PCs that don’t have Sage itself installed.  The ODBC driver is specific to the version number of Sage Accounts.

 

You can then open all the Sage tables as linked tables in Access and write simple queries against them.  The driver seems to struggle with more complex queries – in which case you first extract the records you need into a temporary Access table with some sensible indexes.

 

You can import most data into Sage as a CSV.  

 

There is a developer’s kit that allows you to update the Sage tables but it is an annual sub > £1000 – if you are clever with ODBC and csv imports then you can do most things!   The most common problem is that an invoice has  to be posted to a single nominal code and VAT code – but you can import journals to deal with this.

 

I believe that the next release of Sage accounts will use SQL as its DB.   Payroll uses a password protected mdb.

 

John

 

Subject: Sage and Access

 

Hi, All

 

There has been correspondence over the years about Sage and Access, mostly about problems. Is it correct to say that there can be no live link between the two, via ODBC or otherwise? I see that DataDirect and Sage Line advertise Sage ODBC drivers. Would they work both ways?

 

Cheers

 

Tony Vile

CCS DataCare

Dundee

DD2 5PH

01382 581024

0771 9600332

 


  _____  


This email has been scanned by Netintelligence
http://www.netintelligence.com/email


  _____  

Hi, All

 

Reading a Lightswitch manual the author makes a comparison between Visual Studio and Access. “Microsoft Access (a part of the Office Plus bundle) provides an easy-to-use approach to create data-centric applications for users with very basic development skills”. I beg your pardon. The largest application that we have handled contained 35,000 lines of code – and that excluded error handling! Recently two people mentioned Access’s limited scalability. What base size does this start from? In 18 years we have only had two systems which should be upgraded to Visual Studio, and that would be because they could then cover multiple hospitals instead of having separate installations. Makes your blood boil. Aaaargh.

 

Tony Vile

CCS DataCare

Dundee

01382 581024

0771 9600332

Thanks Eoin

 

Here is my email address:

 

HYPERLINK "mailto:info />
 

Roger

 

Subject: RE: Sage and Access

 

Yes of course – give me a few moments to de-personalise it.  If you send me your email address I can email both the code (very simple) and the output which is written as text.

 

Eoin

 

  _____  

Subject: RE: Sage and Access

 

Eoin

 

Is it possible to view a sample layout of the spreadsheet layout?

 

Roger

 

Subject: RE: Sage and Access

 

Hi all

 

I have just completed a system whereby the invoice numbers are ‘complex’ i.e. not just the number 1 after the one before and so have to be generated by the system.  Subsequently we post to Sage via a .csv.  You can export each line of the invoice with text, net, vat and vat code independently whether or not they are destined for the same nominal heading.

 

Regards

 

Eoin

 

 

 

  _____  

Subject: Re: Sage and Access

 

I think the developers kits are a bit cheaper than that at the moment, especially for instant accounts. 

 

I have used Sage Data Objects to create a real time link between Sage Line 50 and access and it works very well. 

 

If you have an Access DB as a sales order processing DB for example which is creating invoices, you can pass the info to Sage which creates a suspended invoice and allocates an invoice number which is then passed back to Access to close the loop. At the end of the day you just need to post the Sage invoices to have a complete record there of your activities. 

 

If you do a csv import I don't believe you can import the line items of each invoice, only the header info and totals. 

With best regards,

 

Andrew

 

Sent from my iPhone


On 17 Aug 2011, at 19:21, John Heaser
When you install Sage Line 50 or Instant Accounts (most versions apart from the most basic)  a read only  ODBC driver is installed.   An ODBC directory is also created  under the Sage directory (usually in Program File)s that has all you need to install the ODBC driver on other PCs that don’t have Sage itself installed.  The ODBC driver is specific to the version number of Sage Accounts.

 

You can then open all the Sage tables as linked tables in Access and write simple queries against them.  The driver seems to struggle with more complex queries – in which case you first extract the records you need into a temporary Access table with some sensible indexes.

 

You can import most data into Sage as a CSV.  

 

There is a developer’s kit that allows you to update the Sage tables but it is an annual sub > £1000 – if you are clever with ODBC and csv imports then you can do most things!   The most common problem is that an invoice has  to be posted to a single nominal code and VAT code – but you can import journals to deal with this.

 

I believe that the next release of Sage accounts will use SQL as its DB.   Payroll uses a password protected mdb.

 

John

 

Subject: Sage and Access

 

Hi, All

 

There has been correspondence over the years about Sage and Access, mostly about problems. Is it correct to say that there can be no live link between the two, via ODBC or otherwise? I see that DataDirect and Sage Line advertise Sage ODBC drivers. Would they work both ways?

 

Cheers

 

Tony Vile

CCS DataCare

Dundee

DD2 5PH

01382 581024

0771 9600332

 


  _____  


This email has been scanned by Netintelligence
http://www.netintelligence.com/email


  _____  

Your message was delivered to the recipient.

Your message was delivered to the recipient.

Hi all

 

I have just completed a system whereby the invoice numbers are ‘complex’ i.e. not just the number 1 after the one before and so have to be generated by the system.  Subsequently we post to Sage via a .csv.  You can export each line of the invoice with text, net, vat and vat code independently whether or not they are destined for the same nominal heading.

 

Regards

 

Eoin

 

 

 

  _____  

Subject: Re: Sage and Access

 

I think the developers kits are a bit cheaper than that at the moment, especially for instant accounts. 

 

I have used Sage Data Objects to create a real time link between Sage Line 50 and access and it works very well. 

 

If you have an Access DB as a sales order processing DB for example which is creating invoices, you can pass the info to Sage which creates a suspended invoice and allocates an invoice number which is then passed back to Access to close the loop. At the end of the day you just need to post the Sage invoices to have a complete record there of your activities. 

 

If you do a csv import I don't believe you can import the line items of each invoice, only the header info and totals. 

With best regards,

 

Andrew

 

Sent from my iPhone


On 17 Aug 2011, at 19:21, John Heaser
When you install Sage Line 50 or Instant Accounts (most versions apart from the most basic)  a read only  ODBC driver is installed.   An ODBC directory is also created  under the Sage directory (usually in Program File)s that has all you need to install the ODBC driver on other PCs that don’t have Sage itself installed.  The ODBC driver is specific to the version number of Sage Accounts.

 

You can then open all the Sage tables as linked tables in Access and write simple queries against them.  The driver seems to struggle with more complex queries – in which case you first extract the records you need into a temporary Access table with some sensible indexes.

 

You can import most data into Sage as a CSV.  

 

There is a developer’s kit that allows you to update the Sage tables but it is an annual sub > £1000 – if you are clever with ODBC and csv imports then you can do most things!   The most common problem is that an invoice has  to be posted to a single nominal code and VAT code – but you can import journals to deal with this.

 

I believe that the next release of Sage accounts will use SQL as its DB.   Payroll uses a password protected mdb.

 

John

 

Subject: Sage and Access

 

Hi, All

 

There has been correspondence over the years about Sage and Access, mostly about problems. Is it correct to say that there can be no live link between the two, via ODBC or otherwise? I see that DataDirect and Sage Line advertise Sage ODBC drivers. Would they work both ways?

 

Cheers

 

Tony Vile

CCS DataCare

Dundee

DD2 5PH

01382 581024

0771 9600332

 


  _____  


This email has been scanned by Netintelligence
http://www.netintelligence.com/emailhttp://www.netintelligence.com/email


  _____  

Andy

 

Do you know whether there’s a German Access user group. The reason I’d like to know is that the potential customer has a subsidiary which is using a German Sage product (in Poland just to make things worse). Would an English ODBC product be able to interface with a German file or is that irrelevant?

 

Cheers

 

Tony

I would also be very interested in hearing someone else’s view on LightSwitch, as I never like raining on the parade, and it would be very interesting to know how someone feels about the product who has not been previously involved in a lot of .net work. Because I certainly come to the party with some very definite requirements. It is free to download.

 

I have also looked very briefly at IronSpeed and Alpha-5 as frameworks (which both look good but have a price tag on them), my preference is still to work within VS, because I know my way about

 

Regards

 

Andy Couch
HYPERLINK "mailto:andy

 

Subject: Re: Lightswitch

 

Andy

 

Thanks for that, I will stay away from it and, at the very least, wait for version 3.

 

Regards

Andrew

 

Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />
  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch

Hi Andrew,

 

Yes, I had a project which just came up, and I thought LightSwitch would be ideal. However, I have rejected the idea of using the product. Here are the things that put me off:-

 

1.       Because LightSwitch uses EDM to manage data, views are not updateable. For me that is a showstopper, as the Dragons say I’m out!

2.       It doesn’t seem to be able to generate reports.

3.       I can’t see any view/query design tool.

4.       I am worried that I can’t manage SQL Server Security, with LINQ I just wrap a class around the data source class to give me seamless integration with SQL Server Security. This looks like black-box technology.

5.       I am worried because I can’t dig into this black box technology. I get the impression that there are so many steps to go through with the metadata for defining parameters etc., I would be faster using standard visual studio.

6.       It’s not very GUI oriented, you do everything with a tree of nodes containing structures where you define things, not very fluid in my opinion.

7.       Build a client application is very quick and easy, publishing to a web server looked very complicated (or at least it looked like you need to target a specific environment), unlike VS where you just press a button.

8.       I think you need Silverlight, but that’s not too big a problem unless using 64-bit IE which does not support Silverlight.

 

So I am very disappointed, but will keep an eye on what happens next. If only MS would stick a few good wizards into VS.

 

I have one project on at the moment where I am using LINQ and standard VS. On another project I am toying with the idea of MVC, although I need to explore this more.

 

You may fancy checking out the following :-

 

http://officewebui.codeplex.com/

http://www.officewebui.com/

 

This gives you a Ribbon in the browser. Very natty.

 

I have downloaded this and it is rather good, although in C#. I couldn’t make it work in VB.NET, although I may dig in again. I have also been in touch with the developer, and suggested that if he put together a very simple example using VB.NET he would get a lot of other people looking at using this. The supplied examples are quite complicated, and instructions are lacking.

 

Regards

 

Andy Couch
HYPERLINK "mailto:andy

 

 

Subject: Lightswitch

 

Hi

 

Has anyone looked any deeper into Lightswitch?

 

I haven't looked at lightswtich because we are up to speed with MVC that I think is just great and easy to start using because of all the "scaffolding" utilities that there are. 

 

I think there ought to be a head to head session at a seminar or regional meeting, with MVC, Lightswitch and Web Databases, and see which offers the best in:

 

a. RAD.

 

b. Ease of use / less developer pain

 

c. Ease of maintenance

 

d. Available functionality

 

e. Integration with existing databases, apps and web apps.

 

f.  Happy clients

 

g.  Happy developers

 

h.  Future proofing.

 

I reckon web databases would come third.

 

Regards

Andrew

 

Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />
 

 

Eoin

 

Is it possible to view a sample layout of the spreadsheet layout?

 

Roger

 

Subject: RE: Sage and Access

 

Hi all

 

I have just completed a system whereby the invoice numbers are ‘complex’ i.e. not just the number 1 after the one before and so have to be generated by the system.  Subsequently we post to Sage via a .csv.  You can export each line of the invoice with text, net, vat and vat code independently whether or not they are destined for the same nominal heading.

 

Regards

 

Eoin

 

 

 

  _____  

Subject: Re: Sage and Access

 

I think the developers kits are a bit cheaper than that at the moment, especially for instant accounts. 

 

I have used Sage Data Objects to create a real time link between Sage Line 50 and access and it works very well. 

 

If you have an Access DB as a sales order processing DB for example which is creating invoices, you can pass the info to Sage which creates a suspended invoice and allocates an invoice number which is then passed back to Access to close the loop. At the end of the day you just need to post the Sage invoices to have a complete record there of your activities. 

 

If you do a csv import I don't believe you can import the line items of each invoice, only the header info and totals. 

With best regards,

 

Andrew

 

Sent from my iPhone


On 17 Aug 2011, at 19:21, John Heaser
When you install Sage Line 50 or Instant Accounts (most versions apart from the most basic)  a read only  ODBC driver is installed.   An ODBC directory is also created  under the Sage directory (usually in Program File)s that has all you need to install the ODBC driver on other PCs that don’t have Sage itself installed.  The ODBC driver is specific to the version number of Sage Accounts.

 

You can then open all the Sage tables as linked tables in Access and write simple queries against them.  The driver seems to struggle with more complex queries – in which case you first extract the records you need into a temporary Access table with some sensible indexes.

 

You can import most data into Sage as a CSV.  

 

There is a developer’s kit that allows you to update the Sage tables but it is an annual sub > £1000 – if you are clever with ODBC and csv imports then you can do most things!   The most common problem is that an invoice has  to be posted to a single nominal code and VAT code – but you can import journals to deal with this.

 

I believe that the next release of Sage accounts will use SQL as its DB.   Payroll uses a password protected mdb.

 

John

 

Subject: Sage and Access

 

Hi, All

 

There has been correspondence over the years about Sage and Access, mostly about problems. Is it correct to say that there can be no live link between the two, via ODBC or otherwise? I see that DataDirect and Sage Line advertise Sage ODBC drivers. Would they work both ways?

 

Cheers

 

Tony Vile

CCS DataCare

Dundee

DD2 5PH

01382 581024

0771 9600332

 


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Andy


Thanks for that, I will stay away from it and, at the very least, wait for version 3.
 
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew />
  _____  

Subject: RE: Lightswitch


Hi Andrew,
 
Yes, I had a project which just came up, and I thought LightSwitch would be ideal. However, I have rejected the idea of using the product. Here are the things that put me off:-
 
1.       Because LightSwitch uses EDM to manage data, views are not updateable. For me that is a showstopper, as the Dragons say I’m out!
2.       It doesn’t seem to be able to generate reports.
3.       I can’t see any view/query design tool.
4.       I am worried that I can’t manage SQL Server Security, with LINQ I just wrap a class around the data source class to give me seamless integration with SQL Server Security. This looks like black-box technology.
5.       I am worried because I can’t dig into this black box technology. I get the impression that there are so many steps to go through with the metadata for defining parameters etc., I would be faster using standard visual studio.
6.       It’s not very GUI oriented, you do everything with a tree of nodes containing structures where you define things, not very fluid in my opinion.
7.       Build a client application is very quick and easy, publishing to a web server looked very complicated (or at least it looked like you need to target a specific environment), unlike VS where you just press a button.
8.       I think you need Silverlight, but that’s not too big a problem unless using 64-bit IE which does not support Silverlight.
 
So I am very disappointed, but will keep an eye on what happens next. If only MS would stick a few good wizards into VS.
 
I have one project on at the moment where I am using LINQ and standard VS. On another project I am toying with the idea of MVC, although I need to explore this more.
 
You may fancy checking out the following :-
 
http://officewebui.codeplex.com/
http://www.officewebui.com/
 
This gives you a Ribbon in the browser. Very natty.
 
I have downloaded this and it is rather good, although in C#. I couldn’t make it work in VB.NET, although I may dig in again. I have also been in touch with the developer, and suggested that if he put together a very simple example using VB.NET he would get a lot of other people looking at using this. The supplied examples are quite complicated, and instructions are lacking.
 
Regards
 
Andy Couch
HYPERLINK "mailto:andy
 
 
Subject: Lightswitch
 
Hi
 
Has anyone looked any deeper into Lightswitch?
 
I haven't looked at lightswtich because we are up to speed with MVC that I think is just great and easy to start using because of all the "scaffolding" utilities that there are. 
 
I think there ought to be a head to head session at a seminar or regional meeting, with MVC, Lightswitch and Web Databases, and see which offers the best in:
 
a. RAD.
 
b. Ease of use / less developer pain
 
c. Ease of maintenance
 
d. Available functionality
 
e. Integration with existing databases, apps and web apps.
 
f.  Happy clients
 
g.  Happy developers
 
h.  Future proofing.
 
I reckon web databases would come third.
 
Regards
Andrew
 
Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew /> 

Can’t help with the idiot’s guide but I would have thought that it should be possible to make this work assuming that you can direct traffic on the relevant port to the IP address of the correct machine.   I have no  knowledge of BT home hubs but we do something similar (SBS 2008 and Hyper V) on Smoothwall.

 

Presumably you have 4 internal IP address – one for the physical PC and one for each of the virtual machines.    I suggest that you check it out on the internal network first and then try it from outside.  

 

John

 

Subject: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

 

Hi All

 

I know this is a bit off topic but can any of you who have experience with server set setups point me in the direction of an idiots guide of how to set up this new operating system.

 

I am trying to set it up to run as a virtual system with two virtual workstations (one running windows XP and one running Win 7). I am using VMware running on  a win 7 64 bit host. I have allocated 4 GB memory to the server 2GB to win 7 workstation and 1GB to the XP workstation. The processor is intel core i5-2500.

 

I am having difficulty setting up Remote Web Access through bt broadband on a BT HomeHub v 2. Am I trying to do the impossible?

 

Not looked at Lightswitch – would be interested in a head to head.

 

I have grasped the (very painful) nettle and am learning C#, J Query, ASP.Net, IIS7, MVC 3, Visual Studio, CSS, HTML -  plus filling in the gaps in my SQL skills (which I thought that I knew quite a lot already, until I researching Clustered Indexes and GUIDS in depth).   Oh for the simple life of clients spread over Access 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002 and 2000      

 

I blame Andrew W for enticing me with his tales of .Net joy J.

 

John

 

Subject: Lightswitch

 

Hi

 

Has anyone looked any deeper into Lightswitch?

 

I haven't looked at lightswtich because we are up to speed with MVC that I think is just great and easy to start using because of all the "scaffolding" utilities that there are. 

 

I think there ought to be a head to head session at a seminar or regional meeting, with MVC, Lightswitch and Web Databases, and see which offers the best in:

 

a. RAD.

 

b. Ease of use / less developer pain

 

c. Ease of maintenance

 

d. Available functionality

 

e. Integration with existing databases, apps and web apps.

 

f.  Happy clients

 

g.  Happy developers

 

h.  Future proofing.

 

I reckon web databases would come third.

 

Regards

Andrew

 

Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />

I’d find such a comparison very interesting.

 

Alan C.

 

Subject: Lightswitch

 

Hi

 

Has anyone looked any deeper into Lightswitch?

 

I haven't looked at lightswtich because we are up to speed with MVC that I think is just great and easy to start using because of all the "scaffolding" utilities that there are. 

 

I think there ought to be a head to head session at a seminar or regional meeting, with MVC, Lightswitch and Web Databases, and see which offers the best in:

 

a. RAD.

 

b. Ease of use / less developer pain

 

c. Ease of maintenance

 

d. Available functionality

 

e. Integration with existing databases, apps and web apps.

 

f.  Happy clients

 

g.  Happy developers

 

h.  Future proofing.

 

I reckon web databases would come third.

 

Regards

Andrew

 

Andrew Wrigley
HYPERLINK "mailto:andrew />

Hi All

 

I know this is a bit off topic but can any of you who have experience with server set setups point me in the direction of an idiots guide of how to set up this new operating system.

 

I am trying to set it up to run as a virtual system with two virtual workstations (one running windows XP and one running Win 7). I am using VMware running on  a win 7 64 bit host. I have allocated 4 GB memory to the server 2GB to win 7 workstation and 1GB to the XP workstation. The processor is intel core i5-2500.

 

I am having difficulty setting up Remote Web Access through bt broadband on a BT HomeHub v 2. Am I trying to do the impossible?

 

Roger Alexander

BMS (Derby)
Business Management Systems development and support

Tel: +44 (0)1332 544722
Mobile: 07890 385376
Email: HYPERLINK "mailto:info />
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No responsibility is accepted by BMS (Derby) in this regard

 

 

Hi


Has anyone looked any deeper into Lightswitch?


I haven't looked at lightswtich because we are up to speed with MVC that I think is just great and easy to start using because of all the "scaffolding" utilities that there are. 


I think there ought to be a head to head session at a seminar or regional meeting, with MVC, Lightswitch and Web Databases, and see which offers the best in:


a. RAD.


b. Ease of use / less developer pain


c. Ease of maintenance


d. Available functionality


e. Integration with existing databases, apps and web apps.


f.  Happy clients


g.  Happy developers


h.  Future proofing.


I reckon web databases would come third.
 
Regards


Andrew


Andrew Wrigley
andrew@wingspan.info

Have just posted the following on the Access Team Blog:

 

Sorry to hijack this thread (as I did the SP1 thread), but partly after being encouraged by a post here some time ago to use Office365 to host Access 2010 web databases, I signed up for its beta, then 7 weeks ago I started paying for the service. However, even though it is no longer in beta and I am paying for its use, web database reports in a web UI still do not work. I have asked several times on the Office365 community site and was told some time back that the Microsoft people there had no information about when it would go live. On this blog Steven Thomas suggested I keep on asking on the Office365 site, but no-one is answering there any more despite several subsequent requests for information. So, to be blunt, this is getting to be a bit of a farce. Would someone at Microsoft please tell us when we will be getting the service we are paying for. If I bought a car, I would not expect to pay for it if one of the wheels is missing. Neither do I expect to pay for a service with one of its wheels missing.

 

Subject: RE: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

Gordon Bennett!

 

Subject: RE: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

I agree very disappointing to have to wait for the reports in 365. The only information I managed to get was

 

From what I was able to find out, we’re waiting for SharePoint’s Reporting Services to be enabled. There is no formal “switch on” date as yet. FYI, MSoft release updates every 90 days and major features every 180 days. They’re aiming to release Business Connectivity Services for SharePoint at the end of October, but that’s not guaranteed. So we may see it then, if not then, probably early next year is a likely date.

 


 
Judith
 

 

Subject: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

Has anyone heard anything about when reporting will become available in Office365? It is a pretty important piece of functionality, but despite Office365 having been live for 6 weeks (and Microsoft taking my money) this functionality is not live. I have posted on the Office365 community site, but have had no joy. The last I heard (some weeks ago) the Microsoft chappy who responded knew no dates for going live either.

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

John,
 
Have you checked that the file permissions on the files and actual C:\AccessPrograms folder allow all required users to access and write to them? Not being able to create the "ldb" file generally presents in this fashion.

Cheers

Charlie


  _____  

Subject: Read-only Problem - Access 2003



Good Morning All,

In this hospital we are sticking with Office 2003 for the present, so all my development is on this platform.

Al my work is completed with a Front End/Back End (FE/BE) configuration, and in the last three or so years users are provided with a shortcut, generated by FMS Startup, for each program they are required to have access to. By default, so far, FEs are located in "C:\AccessPrograms\".  Back Ends are on accessible network shares.

Access Security is not used - I employ my own code.

In 90% + of instances the user has, and uses, their "own" machine - i.e. they just stick with one machine, and other users do not have to log on to that machine.

However some recent projects have required a FE to be used by 2 or three users on one machine (from time to time and under their respective logins), and this presents my problem.

The Access FE starts up, and:

1.  For the user who was logged on to the PC at the time the FE was loaded onto the machine, this user is taken straight into the program via the security provided.

2.  Should the user NOT be the one who was logged in when the program was downloaded, Access will go into Read-Only mode, and the user can then barely move within the program.

3.  However, if the user in the latter case is an Administrator on the network, that user is then granted full rights.


I know that FMS is not the problem here - I can replicate the issue without their functionality.

The only solution I can find is to have each user download a copy of the FE into their slice of Documents and Settings, rather than into a central C:\ drive folder.  Whilst workable, this is far from ideal.

My question is this:  Is the behaviour I'm seeing known and expected, or is it not? If it is not, has anyone a solution or even know what the problem is?  Is it perhaps a Network setting, or a PC setting, or am I unwittingly creating the problem in the programs I write?


Thank you for any contributions.


John P Baker
Commercial Services Dept
Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Tel: None - please email instead


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Aye, the ldb file is created whenever the mdb file is opened. It's not just used for security in the user-access sense but also for tracking what tables are open and the like. An ldb file with restricted permissions is a real PITA when previously all has been fine.

Cheers

Charlie

  _____  

Subject: RE: Read-only Problem - Access 2003



It may or may not be relevant but I once had a weird problem with a shared  A2000 mde that had been running for years on a W2003 Terminal Server.   One day the first person to open the mde was a domain administrator and a system.ldb file was created (don’t ask me why as we don’t use Access security in any form) with permissions that prevented non administrators from opening it.    Got everyone to log out and the file was removed and the problem never re occurred.   Up to that point I had not even realised that a system.ldb file was being created!

 

John

 

 

Subject: Read-only Problem - Access 2003

 

Good Morning All,

In this hospital we are sticking with Office 2003 for the present, so all my development is on this platform.

Al my work is completed with a Front End/Back End (FE/BE) configuration, and in the last three or so years users are provided with a shortcut, generated by FMS Startup, for each program they are required to have access to. By default, so far, FEs are located in "C:\AccessPrograms\".  Back Ends are on accessible network shares.

Access Security is not used - I employ my own code.

In 90% + of instances the user has, and uses, their "own" machine - i.e. they just stick with one machine, and other users do not have to log on to that machine.

However some recent projects have required a FE to be used by 2 or three users on one machine (from time to time and under their respective logins), and this presents my problem.

The Access FE starts up, and:

1.  For the user who was logged on to the PC at the time the FE was loaded onto the machine, this user is taken straight into the program via the security provided.

2.  Should the user NOT be the one who was logged in when the program was downloaded, Access will go into Read-Only mode, and the user can then barely move within the program.

3.  However, if the user in the latter case is an Administrator on the network, that user is then granted full rights.

 

I know that FMS is not the problem here - I can replicate the issue without their functionality.

The only solution I can find is to have each user download a copy of the FE into their slice of Documents and Settings, rather than into a central C:\ drive folder.  Whilst workable, this is far from ideal.

My question is this:  Is the behaviour I'm seeing known and expected, or is it not? If it is not, has anyone a solution or even know what the problem is?  Is it perhaps a Network setting, or a PC setting, or am I unwittingly creating the problem in the programs I write?

 

Thank you for any contributions.

 

John P Baker
Commercial Services Dept
Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Tel: None - please email instead


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Thank you for your co-operation.

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Good Morning All,

In this hospital we are sticking with Office 2003 for the present, so all my development is on this platform.

Al my work is completed with a Front End/Back End (FE/BE) configuration, and in the last three or so years users are provided with a shortcut, generated by FMS Startup, for each program they are required to have access to. By default, so far, FEs are located in "C:\AccessPrograms\".  Back Ends are on accessible network shares.

Access Security is not used - I employ my own code.

In 90% + of instances the user has, and uses, their "own" machine - i.e. they just stick with one machine, and other users do not have to log on to that machine.

However some recent projects have required a FE to be used by 2 or three users on one machine (from time to time and under their respective logins), and this presents my problem.

The Access FE starts up, and:

1.  For the user who was logged on to the PC at the time the FE was loaded onto the machine, this user is taken straight into the program via the security provided.

2.  Should the user NOT be the one who was logged in when the program was downloaded, Access will go into Read-Only mode, and the user can then barely move within the program.

3.  However, if the user in the latter case is an Administrator on the network, that user is then granted full rights.


I know that FMS is not the problem here - I can replicate the issue without their functionality.

The only solution I can find is to have each user download a copy of the FE into their slice of Documents and Settings, rather than into a central C:\ drive folder.  Whilst workable, this is far from ideal.

My question is this:  Is the behaviour I'm seeing known and expected, or is it not? If it is not, has anyone a solution or even know what the problem is?  Is it perhaps a Network setting, or a PC setting, or am I unwittingly creating the problem in the programs I write?


Thank you for any contributions.


John P Baker
Commercial Services Dept
Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Tel: None - please email instead

Gordon Bennett!

 

Subject: RE: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

I agree very disappointing to have to wait for the reports in 365. The only information I managed to get was

 

From what I was able to find out, we’re waiting for SharePoint’s Reporting Services to be enabled. There is no formal “switch on” date as yet. FYI, MSoft release updates every 90 days and major features every 180 days. They’re aiming to release Business Connectivity Services for SharePoint at the end of October, but that’s not guaranteed. So we may see it then, if not then, probably early next year is a likely date.

 


 
Judith
 

 

Subject: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

Has anyone heard anything about when reporting will become available in Office365? It is a pretty important piece of functionality, but despite Office365 having been live for 6 weeks (and Microsoft taking my money) this functionality is not live. I have posted on the Office365 community site, but have had no joy. The last I heard (some weeks ago) the Microsoft chappy who responded knew no dates for going live either.

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

Andrew,

I’ve just been having a play with a web database. I hadn’t realised you can’t use pictures in the detail section of a web report. That’s not good. You may know this already, but to show pictures in a web database, you can insert a web browser control into a form and use that to link to your tables, e.g. you might have a URL field in a table. Store the image URLs in that field and then link the web browser control to this field in this table. I think you can only use the web control in single forms, not continuous forms.

 

You may get some mileage with attachments in continuous forms. If you save the image, e.g. a .jpg file, as an attachment you can see at least one attachment per record just by adding a bound attachment control to the continuous form. I’m not sure whether you can get to browse between the different attachments on a particular record if you have more than one attachment though. Maybe you can do it with the BrowseTo macro action ???? Remember there is still a maximum size limit (still 2GB?) to your database if you use attachments though.

 

 

Alan

 

Subject: RE: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

Please also be aware that you can’t put images into an Access web report, other than header / footer repeated images. If you wanted, for instance, to print estate agent’s house details, you’d be stuffed. Only way (that I know of) is to run a desktop version with conventional forms / reports, linked to the common SharePoint hosted backend lists.

 

With best regards,

 

 

Andrew

 

 

Andrew Vickers

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Subject: RE: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

In case anyone is thinking about using Office365 for Access Services, please be aware that Microsoft do not seem to be responding to anything on their community site when asked this question. It is 7 weeks out of beta yet you can’t use reports on Access web databases using a web UI. AccessHosting.com has had this working since they started several months ago, but there is a question about the legality of using them since they are outside the EU or any other suitable area.

 

Not impressed with Microsoft at all. Good at marketing though.

 

Subject: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

Has anyone heard anything about when reporting will become available in Office365? It is a pretty important piece of functionality, but despite Office365 having been live for 6 weeks (and Microsoft taking my money) this functionality is not live. I have posted on the Office365 community site, but have had no joy. The last I heard (some weeks ago) the Microsoft chappy who responded knew no dates for going live either.

 

Alan

 

 

 

 

  _____  

This email has been scanned by Netintelligence
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Please also be aware that you can’t put images into an Access web report, other than header / footer repeated images. If you wanted, for instance, to print estate agent’s house details, you’d be stuffed. Only way (that I know of) is to run a desktop version with conventional forms / reports, linked to the common SharePoint hosted backend lists.

 

With best regards,

 

 

Andrew

 

 

Andrew Vickers

Proprietor

 



 

Woodlings Barn

Newnham Court Farm

Newnham Bridge

Tenbury Wells

Worcestershire

WR15 8JF

 

T: 01584 781483

M: 07739 468636

 

www.dbdevelopment.co.uk

 

**************************************************
The information contained in this email is intended only for the person or entity to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you have received this email in error please note that any review, retransmission, copying, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon its contents is prohibited. If you are not an intended recipient, Please delete the material from any computer that may have it and contact DB Development on 07739 468636. Thank you for your co-operation.

The contents of an attachment to this email may contain software viruses which could damage your computer system. We cannot accept liability for any damage which you sustain as a result of software viruses. You should carry out your own virus checks before opening any attachment

 

Subject: RE: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

In case anyone is thinking about using Office365 for Access Services, please be aware that Microsoft do not seem to be responding to anything on their community site when asked this question. It is 7 weeks out of beta yet you can’t use reports on Access web databases using a web UI. AccessHosting.com has had this working since they started several months ago, but there is a question about the legality of using them since they are outside the EU or any other suitable area.

 

Not impressed with Microsoft at all. Good at marketing though.

 

Subject: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

Has anyone heard anything about when reporting will become available in Office365? It is a pretty important piece of functionality, but despite Office365 having been live for 6 weeks (and Microsoft taking my money) this functionality is not live. I have posted on the Office365 community site, but have had no joy. The last I heard (some weeks ago) the Microsoft chappy who responded knew no dates for going live either.

 

Alan

 

 

 





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In case anyone is thinking about using Office365 for Access Services, please be aware that Microsoft do not seem to be responding to anything on their community site when asked this question. It is 7 weeks out of beta yet you can’t use reports on Access web databases using a web UI. AccessHosting.com has had this working since they started several months ago, but there is a question about the legality of using them since they are outside the EU or any other suitable area.

 

Not impressed with Microsoft at all. Good at marketing though.

 

Subject: Office365, Access 2010 web databases and reports

 

Has anyone heard anything about when reporting will become available in Office365? It is a pretty important piece of functionality, but despite Office365 having been live for 6 weeks (and Microsoft taking my money) this functionality is not live. I have posted on the Office365 community site, but have had no joy. The last I heard (some weeks ago) the Microsoft chappy who responded knew no dates for going live either.

 

Alan

 

 

 

Hi

 

It could be your new database was missing an “Option Explicit”.  This requires that you declare using the Dim statement any variables that you use.

 

regards

Bill

 

Subject: RE: Issue with Binding?

 

I did fix it – about 2 minutes after I sent that post, which will teach me to persevere a bit longer before calling for help – and it needed a Dim objHTTP as object and a Dim URL as string adding.

 

I agree that it’s strange that it works fine in a new database! I wondered if somehow variables are assumed to be of a certain type if not expressly specified?

 

With best regards,

 

 

Andrew

 

 

Andrew Vickers

Proprietor

 



 

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The contents of an attachment to this email may contain software viruses which could damage your computer system. We cannot accept liability for any damage which you sustain as a result of software viruses. You should carry out your own virus checks before opening any attachment

 

Subject: RE: Issue with Binding?

 

You say…

“It looks to me like the code is relying on late binding as there is no Dim objHTTP as anything prior to this”

 

Even in late binding you must have a Dim statement.

I don’t know how you have it working anywhere without one.

 

You can certainly use late binding in A97.

 

Peter

 

Subject: Issue with Binding?

 

I’m using some code to fire SMS messages from my database, which I have now got working correctly in my test database (which was a new database created using Access 2010).

 

However, when I put the code into my customer’s database (which is Access 97 would you believe?) I get the following error when compiling on this line:-

 

Set objHTTP = CreateObject("MSXML2.ServerXMLHTTP")

 

When I try to compile it, it says that the variable [objHTTP] is not defined.

 

It looks to me like the code is relying on late binding as there is no Dim objHTTP as anything prior to this, so would I be correct in thinking that late binding wasn’t available in Access 97?

 

I have also converted the database into an accdb file so I can run it on my own PC, in Access 2010, but it still won’t compile, presumably because it’s a converted database and not a native 2010 database? Does that sound about right?

 

If this is correct, and I need to use early binding, I presume I need to select the reference to Microsoft XML Version 2, (msxml.dll) and then put a dim line in above. Was this available in Access 97?

 

Any ideas?

 

With best regards,

 

 

Andrew

 

 

Andrew Vickers

Proprietor

 

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If you’re safely back for our laughable summer - I would also like a copy of the code if possible.

 

Regards

 

kkerridge />
 

 

 

Subject: RE: SMS Messaging

 

Andrew

 

I’m in South America at the moment about to catch a ‘plane for the jungle!

 

Back on the 14th when I’ll sort this out for you.

 

Bob

 

Subject: RE: SMS Messaging

 

Hi Bob,

 

I’m not tied in, but I guess it’s all to do with price, margin and continuity of service!

 

I’d be interested in seeing your code that fires the SMS if that’s possible?

 

With best regards,

 

 

Andrew

 

 

Andrew Vickers

Proprietor

 



 

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Newnham Court Farm

Newnham Bridge

Tenbury Wells

Worcestershire

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T: 01584 781483

M: 07739 468636

 

HYPERLINK "http://www.dbdevelopment.co.uk"www.dbdevelopment.co.uk

 

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The contents of an attachment to this email may contain software viruses which could damage your computer system. We cannot accept liability for any damage which you sustain as a result of software viruses. You should carry out your own virus checks before opening any attachment

 

Subject: RE: SMS Messaging

 

Are you tied in with this company?

 

I have used FastSMS for some while with success.

 

I have a small mdb using HTTP XML to send text messages.

 

If you are interested, e-mail me.

 

Bob Cresswell

 

Subject: SMS Messaging

 

I’m working with a company that provides text messaging solutions and they have provided me with an http web address to type into my web browser (IE) to send an SMS message via their service to a recipient of my choice.

 

The syntax is as follows:-

 

https://www.collstream.co.uk/direct/PingRequest.aspx?Username=Test&password=Tester&MSISDN=Collstream&Number=441234567890&SendMessage=Test%20Live%20Message

 

Having replaced the variables with the correct information, if I type this directly into IE it works perfectly, however, what I really want to do is have this in VB triggered by a button push to send the SMS message.

 

If I use application.followhyperlink, it opens an IE window (undesirable) and sends the message twice for some reason. Can anyone offer alternative coding that might correct this?

 

With best regards,

 

 

Andrew

 

 

Andrew Vickers

Proprietor

 



 

Woodlings Barn

Newnham Court Farm

Newnham Bridge

Tenbury Wells

Worcestershire

WR15 8JF

 

T: 01584 781483

M: 07739 468636

 

HYPERLINK "http://www.dbdevelopment.co.uk"www.dbdevelopment.co.uk

 

**************************************************
The information contained in this email is intended only for the person or entity to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you have received this email in error please note that any review, retransmission, copying, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon its contents is prohibited. If you are not an intended recipient, Please delete the material from any computer that may have it and contact DB Development on 07739 468636. Thank you for your co-operation.

The contents of an attachment to this email may contain software viruses which could damage your computer system. We cannot accept liability for any damage which you sustain as a result of software viruses. You should carry out your own virus checks before opening any attachment

 

Subject: RE: TechNet

 

Isn’t the problem with Technet that the licence does not allow you to use the software for production purposes?

 

Subject: Re: TechNet

 

Hi is anyone using Technet subscription, have looked at the site but not too clear as to what you get with each level of subscription?

 

Regards

 

Mark

  

 

Database Software Development, Automated Office Systems, Systems Analysis

 

t: 01273 814409
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----- Original Message -----

Subject: RE: Microsoft Resources

 

You will have to do an online multiple choice test on your chosen subject but if you have 2 monitors then it is not difficult to do the test on one monitor and look the answers up on the other!   You are allowed to re sit if you fail.   I think the one that I did had some oddly phrased questions that I failed to understand properly – so had to re sit – you get different questions though.

 

John

 

Subject: Re: Microsoft Resources

 

Thank you John, the web site in the past has been off putting to say the least, I will take a look, is there a requirement to jump through a test sheet or a quiz to do!

 

 

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You may need to install the MSXML SDK on your clients computer(s).

 

Bob

 

Subject: RE: Issue with Binding?

 

You say…

“It looks to me like the code is relying on late binding as there is no Dim objHTTP as anything prior to this”

 

Even in late binding you must have a Dim statement.

I don’t know how you have it working anywhere without one.

 

You can certainly use late binding in A97.

 

Peter

 

Subject: Issue with Binding?

 

I’m using some code to fire SMS messages from my database, which I have now got working correctly in my test database (which was a new database created using Access 2010).

 

However, when I put the code into my customer’s database (which is Access 97 would you believe?) I get the following error when compiling on this line:-

 

Set objHTTP = CreateObject("MSXML2.ServerXMLHTTP")

 

When I try to compile it, it says that the variable [objHTTP] is not defined.

 

It looks to me like the code is relying on late binding as there is no Dim objHTTP as anything prior to this, so would I be correct in thinking that late binding wasn’t available in Access 97?

 

I have also converted the database into an accdb file so I can run it on my own PC, in Access 2010, but it still won’t compile, presumably because it’s a converted database and not a native 2010 database? Does that sound about right?

 

If this is correct, and I need to use early binding, I presume I need to select the reference to Microsoft XML Version 2, (msxml.dll) and then put a dim line in above. Was this available in Access 97?

 

Any ideas?

 

With best regards,

 

 

Andrew

 

 

Andrew Vickers

Proprietor

I have several users who use a standard Access 2010 database linked to some tables in SharePoint 2010 (Office365 actually) and I don’t want them to be able to see each others’ data if at all possible. AccessHosting have a video which shows how to stop users from opening a web database in Access (by setting up a new custom permission with just Add Items, Edit Items, Delete Items, View Items, View Pages, Browse User Information and Open permissions), but I want to allow users to link to tables. I was thinking of creating a view in SharePoint which has the user’s ID as the criterion for what is visible, but am I right in thinking this is not possible for Access 2010 web databases? If it is possible, does anyone know how to do it, please?

 

A possible way of getting round it might to not have linked tables at all and try and get the data some other way, but linked tables are nice and easy.

 

Ta,

 

Alan