What does MDE stand for?

[enthrop]

We were just talking around in the office and none of us could figure out what MDE stood for.. and I can't seem to find it on Microsoft's webpage.

Does anyone know?

 

[Tekime]

I could be wrong, but here's my guess. Every reference to the definition of MDE I can find explains that it's a "Microsoft Access MDE Database". In this case MDE could mean Multiple Data Entry, so MDE would in a way be a recursive acronym which ultimately sorts out to "Microsoft Access Multiple Data Entry Database".

That's my best guess anyway...

http://www.fury-tech.com

 

[psemianonymous]

MDE - Microsoft Data(B)ase - Encoded/Encrypted? As in, "I compiled the MDB so now the code modules and forms/reports are compiled, thus they are "encoded"? I don't mean encryption in the PGP sense, more the "unable to read, thus it's encrypted" sense.

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Find common answers using Google Groups:

http://groups.google.com/groups?group=comp.databases.ms-access

Corrupt MDBs FAQ

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/corruptmdbs.htm

 

[RickSpr]

The original (Access 1) filename extension was ".mdb", for "Microsoft Database". All database file extensions since that time have started with ".md", so that's where that part comes from. Whether it "means" anything is a matter of interpretation.

I have always pretty much assumed the "e" was short for "executable". It contains code compiled to machine language, the way VB does. (Actually, I think it's threaded code, which is a hybrid of machine language and interpreted language.) It's not actually executable all by itself, because that would make it tougher to access the built-in data (Jet would have to be able to understand the EXE header, for instance, and you wouldn't be able to associate the extension with msaccess.exe for opening the database). But if you include the .mde and the runtime library in an install package (using the PD wizard), it becomes a standalone program analogous to a product offered for sale--an executable, in other words.

Rick Sprague
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