The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5) - Basic question, databases, flash

Basic question, databases, flash

Excuse my ignorance about databases... but we're planning to use Access for some tools. Pretty lightweight, maybe 10 tables and 10 queries, but enough that we should move out of the Excel world.

Seems like Access is a simple choice since we already have a site license for it... but how do you set it up so that multiple people can work on it at the same time? Do you also need a server? Is that another product or will Access already do that? Our current system of work is that we have source control for code/binaries, and you just do an exclusive checkout for binaries. I think the Access database could be one file, in which case we couldn't just use the old source control method because then two people can't edit it at once.

Also, same question about Flash. I'm sure there are lots of websites where people work on the same project simultaneously. How do they set up the files? You could split it up into separate SWF files, but then how say how do you share common "controls" between the two?

Andy
Friday, October 3, 2003

WRT Access: You can enable multi user mode with:
Tools > Options > Advanced > Default open mode > Shared
Then put it on a share that all can write to.

I don't know about flash.

Don Vince
Friday, October 3, 2003

Don, Does that work for multiple users adding forms and tables to the MDB? I thought it had to be open exclusive to do that sort of thing?

Chris
Friday, October 3, 2003

You may want to check into managing your Access database under Visual SourceSafe, if you're planning on having multiple developers working on it at the same time, and not just multiple users accessing data in the database. There are some whitepapers on msdn explaining how Access is managed under VSS.

Herbert Sitz
Friday, October 3, 2003

Yes - you need exclusive access to add / update forms, etc.

You should separate your app into two MDBS. One containing just code, forms, etc. the other just the tables and data and link to the tables.

Do all you development on a copy of the "app" database. When tested and ready to go live schedule a quick downtime.

Then just replace the "app" with the new version and relink the tables.

If the table schema needs to be changed, write some scripts, or manual change the "data" mdb during the downtime as well.

Above all keep backups of all old versions!!

DJ
Friday, October 3, 2003

Flash projects are difficult to share with a source-control system. The .fla project files are binary, so source-control programs cannot "diff" them. The recommended practice is to put your ActionScript code into .as text files and then #include them into your .fla project file.

You can use separate .swf movie files. There is a Flash feature called "Runtime Shared Libraries" (RSL) that lets .swf movie files act like the DLLs: a .swf movie can load other .swf movies and call ActionScript code in the child movie.

runtime
Friday, October 3, 2003