Questions and Answers abut Office 2000 Developer Edition

Questions and Answers about Office 2000 Developer Edition (MOD)

I am wanting to create some databases with Access 2000 then front end them with some Visual Basic programs. I would like to set this up so that I only need one licensed copy of Access (on a server or workstation?) and I can distribute the vb program on several different workstations.

You can distribute Access database solutions without clients having Access on their workstation by using the runtime version of Access that ships with the Microsoft Access Developer Edition. In fact, you do not need vb to achieve this. There are separate runtime editions for Access 2000 and Access 2002. Since you plan to distribute your solutions to clients who will not have Access on their workstation, you might as well use Access 2002 to get the extra functionality afforded by the latest version of the product. You can got a more comprehensive view of the benefits of MOD at http://www.programmingmsaccess.com/Contests/MODXPReview.htm.

Is there anything special that makes Microsoft Office^xp Developer (MOD XP) worth purchasing?

MOD XP retains all the benefits from the prior versions and adds more to them. In addition, Access 2002 introduces several important innovations. With MOD XP you are better equipped to take advantage of them.

To start with, I remind you that the only way to get the run-time version of Access 2002 is to get MOD XP. Recall that you can use the run-time version to build Access solutions for machines that do not have Access installed. MOD XP also includes a license to redistribute solutions built with MSDE 2000. Therefore, you can build stand-alone solutions with either of the database engines that Access supports.

One of my personal favorite features for MOD XP is that it includes a developer version of SQL Server 2000. While this version is not for production solutions, it does offer developers copies of Enterprise Manager and Query Analyzer. Those that decide to learn SQL-DMO programming will particularly appreciate the Help file for SQL-DMO.

I close by mentioning workflow programming. MOD XP includes special UI and programming interfaces to facilitate the building of workflow solutions. Learning this style of programming opens another area of applications for Access developers. The MOD XP built-in Help capability, which resembles the one for SQL Server Books Online, includes substantial support for workflow solution support.

You can read this site's review of MOD XP by clicking here.

Is there a software or a way to make Access Databases Version x.x, executable files like Visual Basic does (Create an .exe File)?

My answer to this question has two parts. First, you can't create .exe files with Access and VBA. Second, you can use the Package and Deployment Wizard to simulate some of the features that a .exe file delivers. By this I mean, your clients can use Access applications that you build for them with Access even if they do not own a license for Access itself. In order to use the Package and Deployment Wizard, you must have a license for the Microsoft Office Developer Edition. See the next q & a for more info.

Having copied the Packaging and Deployment Wizard from the Office 2000 developer's CD, how do I install and "run" the wizard in Access 2000?

After the Packaging and Deployment Wizard is installed from the Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Edition CD, go to the code window of a module. Choose Add-ins > Add-in Manager... Double-click the VBA Package and Deployment wizard from the Available Add-Ins list. Click OK to close the dialog and load the wizard. Invoke the wizard by clicking the Add-ins menu again and choosing Packaging and Deployment Wizard... You can load the other MOD wizards with the same technique.

Can you briefly name and describe all the MOD wizards?

The Code Librarian helps you catalog code samples for re-use. It even comes with a starter kit. The Code Commenter automatically adds comments to a module. You can control the template that lays out the default comments. The Packaging and Deployment wizard lets you create setup packages for your Access applications. Users can run these packages from disks, over a LAN, or over the Internet. The Error Handler automatically adds error-handling to the procedures in a module. You can fine-tune the results for your specific needs. Multi-Code Import/Export tool facilitates importing and exporting multiple code objects in a single operation. Load the Source Code Control Add-in to facilitate team development efforts and aid code archiving on a project. The String Editor helps to develop long SQL strings for inclusion in your code. The WinAPI Viewer targets developers who wants to use Win32 calls in their applications.

What's the Access Worflow Designer (AWD) for SQL Server? Has its name changed? How do I get it?

It is a part of the Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Edition (MOD) released after the package started shipping. AWD makes it possible for developers to build tracking applications based on a SQL Server. Whether or not you build tracking solutions, developers are likely to find value in this MOD component because it ships with a the Developer SQL Server 7.0 version.

The name for Access Workflow Designer changed to Workflow Designer for SQL Server 7.0. To order it, instead of specifically ordering the Workflow Designer, users need to order MOD SR1 which now contains the Workflow Designer (http://msdn.microsoft.com/officedev/sr/sr1/default.asp). It is free to existing licensed MOD 2000 owners.

What's MOD 2000 version 1.5?

Microsoft® Office 2000 Developer Version 1.5 is an updated release of Office 2000 Developer that includes professional tools for building workflow solutions using Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server and Microsoft SQL Server™ version 7.0. It includes the SQL Server Developer Edition + plus much more. It is free to existing licensed MOD 2000 owners. Learn more about this new MOD version at http://msdn.microsoft.com/officedev/prodinfo/officedev2000.asp.