MDE vs MDB for front/back -- is it critical? (reports)

[asp3232]

Hi all,

I've got a DB that has about 5-10 users, some with access97 and some with access2000. The DB is in 97 format, which has caused a little trouble with the 2000 users. I've heard that splitting the DB into a frontend/backend makes for a much more robust database, so I did that and it seems to work just fine.

I'd also heard that I should use .mde files instead of .mdb for the front end, so I created both 97 and 2000 versions, and they work fine also.

However, the problem is that the users need to create their own queries and reports (queries can be added to a .mde file, reports cannot, it seems).

So my question is this: Is there a problem with just having 2 front ends using .mdb files instead of .mde files? I know that there is a risk that someone could change or get access to the underlying code, but I don't think that's much of a risk with this group of users. (plus we're going to implement a rudimentary file-system-level security so only select team members can write to the db files).

Any other reasons not to use mdb front-ends?

thanks!

asp

 

[thornmastr]

Implement access security on your front end giving whatever permissions to whatever objects are necessary, and deny the rest. Robert Berman
Data Base consultant
Vulcan Software Services
thornmastr@yahoo.com

 

[asp3232]

Ok, the access security sounds like a good idea.

What about the mde vs mdb issue?

Thanks for your reply!

asp

 

[thornmastr]

Using an MDE will do the following for you. Absolutely nothing more or less. It doesn’t really seem to be what you are asking for.

Saving your Access database as an MDE file prevents the following actions:
• Viewing, modifying, or creating forms, reports, or modules in Design view.
• Adding, deleting, or changing references to object libraries or databases.
• Changing code — an MDE file contains no source code.
• Importing or exporting forms, reports, or modules. However, tables, queries, data access pages, and macros can be imported from or exported to non-MDE databases.
Robert Berman
Data Base consultant
Vulcan Software Services
thornmastr@yahoo.com