Main Menu -  The Deliver Button            

When you first click on the Deliver Button (shown in Figure1), you will see the form shown in Figure 2. This form has three functions, it allows you to enter a reminder about what to do when delivering the database, it allows you to view and change the version of your database; view and change the startup properties of a database; compile your database into MDE format and open the folder that the database is currently in. We will find out about what the Deliver button does now.

Figure1 - The deliver button

Delivery Reminders

You will find that the Access Workbench lets you type in all the things that you have to remember to do when you deliver a database to your users. Examples of these reminders can range from a list of email addresses that require a copy of the database, Access start-up properties to change or a note to make an MDE database rather than send the MDB database. At the top of the form  shown in Figure 2, you will see a sample of a more complicated process that we need to undertake for one of our database.

Under the delivery reminder you will find that you can choose from a list of different sounds to play whenever you click on Deliver button. Generally you will leave the sound field blank but if you work on as many databases as we do, it is good to have a groovy sound to act as a heads up to look at the delivery reminder messages.

Figure 2 - The Delivery Form in Action

 

One of the important things that you need to do when managing software development with an Access database is to make sure that you always change the version number of your Access database before you install it as a new piece of software. Doing this means that you can ascertain if the person that is using your database is actually using the latest version. The Access Workbench supports a table called uSysDBVersion for this purpose.  With the Workbench, you can view and change the version number without opening the database again. Once you have a large number of databases and lots of clients, the version process supported by the workbench is a real time saver because you can look at and change version details without even opening the database.

When you first use the Access Workbench on your database, your database is unlikely to have a copy of the version table in the database. Instead the workbench will illustrate the design of the table that you will need to add to the database to make this versioning system work. The quickest way to create the table is to click on the Create Version Table button that will appear on the form (when no table exists). This will add the table to your database (if you have permission to add that table)

Figure 3 - Setting Up A Version Table In Your Database

Now click on the Code generation button to assist you with adding the code to your main form to display the version information.

If you are using a database that has the uSysDBversion table in it, the version button will display the following form (once you click the Version button).  If you wish to change any of the version release information for the current database, make the changes and click the OK button to save. In this case the incremental field is for a very simple integer version number (1,2,3,...x) rather than the more complex version numbers normally used by programmers that are harder to interrogate when comparing the version number of two databases in code.

Figure 4 - Version Number details that you can change in the database

Displaying The Version Details To Your Users

Once you have the version table setup in your database, you will need to display this in your database in a very prominent place so that your users can read the details. As a developer you need this information displayed so that your users can tell you what version they are using. Trust us, your users will find many ways to run old versions of database software. To find how to display this information, you can either

1) Click here to Read about and Download the Access code to add a professional version number system to your database. Once you have plugged that code into your database, remember that the Workbench will allow you to change the versions numbers without even opening your database.

2) Purchase a copy of the Access Workbench because the software comes with an Access demonstration software that includes the code to retrieve and display the version number on a form. These demonstration databases also include a number of other very useful database management samples such as User Logging and user messages and database shutdowns.

One of the best and quickest protection that you can apply to an Access database is to change some of the startup properties from your Access database. To do this in any Access database, choose the menu Tools ~ Startup and you will see a number of startup properties that you can modify. If you want to read more on this important topic, the full chapter on startup properties from Garry Robinson's book on Access Protection and Security can be found at

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dndbdes/html/chapter2accessprotectionsecurity.asp

What the Workbench does for startup properties is that you don't have to open the database to make the changes. You also don't have to display a special form to change the startup properties once you turn the Full Menus property off. In figure 5, you will see the startup properties for a database displayed as options in check boxes.

 

Figure 5 - Database startup properties that you can modify

In Figure 5, you can see our choice for the startup properties that you should clear if want to protect your database. Whilst the other startup properties are important, you do need to spend time working with your users to make sure that they can perform their normal tasks when the standard menus, toolbars and right click menu's have been removed.

Security Notes: If your database is secured by workgroup security, you will need to select an workgroup administrator account to make the changes to the startup properties. You can setup this up in the Workbench security form.  Also if the Workbench is not registered, you cannot make any changes to the Startup Properties of an Access database, you can only view them.

Compile Your Database Into The More Secure MDE Format

At the bottom of the delivery screen, you will find one of the options relevant to your database is to compile your database into MDE format (see figure 6). This MDE format strips all the VBA code from behind your forms, reports and modules and only leaves the MDE format. It is one of the best ways to protect your database investment. Read More on the MDE compiler in the Workbench and on the MDE format in general.

Figure 6 - Create an MDE file; save your database in a Zip file and open folder on completion options.

MDE Notes: Please note that MDE compile is only applicable to Front-End databases that do not have live data in them. Search your Access help for "MDE" or "split database wizard" to find out more on this topic.

Open Folder On Completion

 

When the version information is updated, the startup options are modified and the mde produced (if required), the workbench will open Windows explore in the current folder so that you can continue doing the things that you do to deliver a database. These might include compressing the database and emailing it to a client or just testing the database. Simply select the folder on completion checkbox to open explorer.

Add Database to a Compressed Zip File On Completion

 

When the Zip the database check box is filled in, a file path to a Zip file is created which includes the Official Name of the Version (see Figure 4). When you press the OK button, the database is added to the Zip file.

 

Note: If you want the copy the path of the Zip file, double click the Zip path text box.

 

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