Feedback about cross version compatibility

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

Rick B — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:01:40 GMT

We write an Access app used in 40+ countries. Most of our users are on 2003 and migrating to 2007, but we do all our compiles in Access 2000 for maximum compatibility. Targeting a single version is not practical. If we were to develop in 2007, I would wonder if it was really perfect for users of earlier versions, even if it nominally was supposed to work. What I REALLY want to see is the return of user level permissions. I know they are not as robust as server based models, but that doesn't mean they aren't crucial to the success of an app. Where higher security is required developers can incorporate other more robust approaches. In conclusion I want to point out that while it's fine that Access works better with SharePoint that before, that is a niche use. The client server model can't perform well enough or be reliable enough for a big global application. Sometimes you just gotta have distributed data, and Access should provide that.

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

ChrisB — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:36:16 GMT

In terms of backward compatibility:

* If 2 versions of access can run on one machine, then I'm fine with the present handling of backward compat. * As long as the newer version can import the older files (and upgrade them) as is the situation at present, then that is fine. For forward compatibility:

* By this I assume you mean that the newer version of Access has the ability to save files in earlier version formats. This is a nice feature, but I would rather drop it, than hold back development of *useful* (and coherent) new features.

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

Dave Thompson — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:43:59 GMT

As a solo developer, it is not practical to have more than about two development machines. And it is necessary to have the lead machine always have the latest version of Access. But it takes time - even years - before my client base catches up. Today, most apps that I support (and about 1/2 of new apps) are Access 2003 (MDB) format. What is imprtant to me is that I can support - from the current shipping version - one version backwards, preferably two - from the lead machine running the current shipping version. I don't distribute MDE's, only MDB's. To date, I've had no problems supporting 2003 apps (to include writing new apps) with the lead machine using 2007 and Vista Ultimate. Fortunately, the VBA references fixup themselves when the app is distributed as an MDB.

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

Vladimir Cvajniga — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 09:42:02 GMT

Edwin Blancovitch said on January 9, 2009 6:45 PM: A2007 is NOT fully compatible withe previous versions of Access. Thus A2003 has no direct continuation.

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

Erwin Leyes — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 07:18:20 GMT

Hello again Access Developers! Yes Ms access is developers best friend in db development but notorious when deployed! but what if MS will make Access deployment like in delphi or C/C++,he.he.he. All MS Access developers are very happy except "SAGEKEY". All the above issue will eventually vanished....Conflicts,versioning..others because we can deploy an independent executables... MDE to EXE, We can use what ever version as our development platform!..

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

Edwin Blancovitch — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:45:10 GMT

Hello Access Developers. . . Happy Holidays, happy New Year. . . Like one of the guys said, access development should not be designed based on version compatibility. I have seen a lot of access applications created in 2003, which are being used by 2007 runtimes. Microsoft has done excellent work with backward compatibility. "Keep on doing your best guys" And older version should never edit a newer version, it will break it. Keep like you do now, this database was created in a newer version, and just close. However, a newer version should be able to read and write to older versions, like you do now. You have a good design now. NOW . . . that being said. . . I will like to tell you something that will be wonderful, you have a deployed working version of your app, you go to a client, that is in recession and you fix/optimize some code, and you just need to quickly install this new version. GOTCHA!! You have the new version, and the client has the old version . . . now you need to install the runtime, and have some problems from versioning issues. I think the access should just do, create a full compatible previous version MDE, so you can just quickly install to your client. Of course, it will remove any new feature.

And you have a fully functional compile mde that will work in previous version and everybody is happy, of course that means a lot of development from the Microsoft guys.

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

wale — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:01:16 GMT

There are a lot of comments with the mention of runtime. This seems fine if no changes or amendments are to be made. But when changes are required, I think question 1 is pretty important. I note that you mentioned RUN, but the thing is what if it doesn't just quite, what happens? Due to the plethora of versions, I would think backward compatibility going back at least 3 versions is in order. I am not too sure about question 2. For instance, Access 2007 allows for over 1M rows f data in a table. How would an older version handle that?

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

Michael Dommer — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:15:44 GMT

Our work with Microsoft Access (since 1.1) has been in developing vertical market applications. Eventually we retire our development efforts for a particular version of Access once the majority of our clients have moved on to new versions of Office/Access. So at any one time we support 3 or so vesions of Access. But the march forward continues. At the current time we develop in Access 2003 and recompile for Access 2002 (because it allows us to and it is easy) and 2007. We are comfortable with Access 2007 and will eventually embrace it as our development version. If providing cross-conversion compatability means retarding the introduction of wanted features in future versions then my team would oppose the ability.

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

David Kates — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:35:33 GMT

It seems yours two questions have spawned a slew of answers to questions not asked - but really important. For me, being able to run and/or edit an Access 2007 database from anything before Access 2007 is not necessary - I wouldn't really expect it. There are features available in Access 2007 that are not in prior versions - you'd have to program for that and I feel it would be a waste of time and talent that could be better used elsewhere. If a client doesn't have Access 2007 then put the Access 2007 MDE in with a run-time... but only if it will not interfere with prior versions of full and run-time installed. This is the big problem. I agree with other comments here that have multiple full and run-time versions of Access running on the same system, without interference, WITHOUT RE-INSTALLATION NOTICES, with reference problems, is far more important that getting Access 2000 run to an Access 2007 database. Give us the ability to run Access 2000, 2003, 2007 databases as if they're blind to each other. And not only development version but runtimes as well so we can test and make sure we're not going to kill a client's existing system. The recent hotfix released makes no mention of how it will affect a run-time system so I, for one, am paranoid that it will disable my database under the runtime - I can't install the hotfix and need to. We need more cohesive releases and fixes - release a development hotfix AND a runtime hotfix - or at least tell us that the hotfix addresses both the dev and runtime versions AND that it will not acces prior Access versions. Your questions speak to cross-version compatability from old to new but you haven't built in something more important.. new to old without re-installing. David K

re: Feedback about cross version compatibility

Ulhas Joshi — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:19:40 GMT

Yes Yes Yes.. We require full compatibility with earlier versions and of course future versions. In my case , we are totally dependent on Access to serve our clients so we need to take care of the scalability issue and also need not miss out the feature upgrades in newer versions.