Best way to use a Form over the Web?

The main choices are:

ASP, ASP.Net
Citrix
DAP

ASP and ASP.Net take a bit of study and a great deal of re-writing and Citrix is quite expensive.

Create a DAP from scratch. Concept - DAP's are WEB pages not Access forms. They reside OUTSIDE of Access as .htm files. They exist in the Internet Explorer environment so you would use a language suited for the web such as VBScript or JScript, not VBA.
You do not have form/subforms on the web. You hyperlink between web pages.
I don't know what you mean by complicated data entry. Data entry is just typing.
You can create comboboxes to use for searches and such but you, again, program them differently. I can supply references if you need them.
User friendly is subjective.
Citrix - see - is a server that remote users login into. That way you would only need a single database. Used it to collect Medicare and Medicaid information from all the insurance agencies, hospitals, doctors in the U.S. while I was at HCFA (now CMS). Not sure what Remou means about being quite expensive.

I understand that I could create a web based form via DAP and I may try it. I see people having trouble with simple things like combo box look-up lists and such that seem rather easy in Access so I am leary to start down this path (From the questions in this forum and others). Thing is, I really wish I did not have to do that. It's another language and system and just is more time.

The complicated part means I use one entry to partially autofill or error check other fields througout the form. Works beautifully now and took me a very long time to develop and test, etc. To implement this in another language that I don't really know may be beyond the scope of my involvement in the project at this time.

So maybe I mistated myself. I really did not mean WEB.

I meant INTERNET. This would not have to be browser related - it simply needs to work over the internet. Work on the form on a laptop that would update the centrally located table in the database? I can envision ways that this could work but would like advice.

Is there anyway to do this over the internet. Looks like Citrix may be an answer. It is a bit expensive 250/user per year. But this could be budgeted into the project. The company I am doing this for is rather cheap and I am not sure they would see this as that advantageous. But I do!

I see other options out there too - and am wondering about them. Actually they are either other databases that seem to implement web based (yes web - via HTML and ASP) more easily than MS does. Also web based databases that I could set up and then download and import into Access.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

I should also state that my reasons for doing this in the first place are:

Projects are located remotely - so data entry will take place remote from the Company, and also at the Company's location. Data management is then complicated as more than one copy of the database is confusing.

Another user currently is simply confused by Access. He is fine when he is in the program and entering data, but is confused when I tell him that putting a copy on his machine presents a challenge in data management. So It would be great for him to access the database form remotely and never have to load a copy on his machine. Right now this person is the only one like this, but I can see more looming.

Have a look at thread701-1391143

John

Wait a minute. I just looked into Database Replication. Maybe thats exactly what I need. I just did not know how to ask the right question or search for the correct key word.

Here's the setup.

The users are working on projects in a few remote locations - the project sites, their homes, and at the main office.

The databases are rather simple - even though the forms are not.

I just need people to be able to keep everthing synchronized.

Right now there are only 4 people on one database, and 2 on another.

So Where do I learn more about this besides help in MS Access. I have a few manuals too so will look into these as well.

I think you are correct in trying to keep them working in the environment your people are used to. It sounds like your UI needs to be very interactive, which web pages are not very good at. Web data entry usually consists of filling in a form, submitting it, and then either it is accepted or the form is sent back with markings indicating what they did wrong. You would certainly need to start from scratch and would not be able to make it as interactive.

I think Citrix would be your best choice.

Replication may work, but I used to work for a company that eventually abandoned it cause it tended to break down.