How to make a 2003 add-in in Access 2010?

[jasmith4]

I use Access 2010, but many clients still have 2003, so I have to deal with 2003-format files all the way.

I've developed MyTools.MDB with nothing but macros and modules containing various tools like exporting all objects to text files. I want to make it an add-in so I can open any MDB or ACCDB and run these tools on it. But I'm finding it nearly impossible, and there's absolutely no comprehensible help on anything anywhere.

I start with MyTools.MDB open, I go to File/Save and Publish, click Make MDE and Save As, and I save it as MyTools.MDE. Then I close it, open some other database, click Database Tools / Add-in Manager, cick Add New and point to MyTools.MDE. It tells me something about a missing "USysRegInfo" table. I search the Help for that string, both Access Help and Developer Reference, and naturally I get NO results -- thanks, Microsoft!

So I search the Web for "USysRegInfo" and I get articles about menu add-ins, form and report wizards, table and query wizards, control wizards, property wizards, and OLE custom control wizards. But all I want to do is execute macros and public functions within modules -- what do I do? Couldn't Microsoft develop some wizard which leads you through creating and populating that table??

 

[jasmith4]

I may have been looking at this from the perspective of the other database. However, I don't see how it's different from using an addin. If you can reference MyTools.mdb and use it, then remove the reference, then you haven't changed the database. I guess the question is whether you could add a reference to a "read-only database". I suppose another question is whether you can install an addin for a "read only database" too.

The difference is:

- A reference from Tools/References is part of the MDB file (its VB project) -- I proved that as I described above. Yes, for a read-only MDB, you can add the reference and then close the MDB without saving.

- An add-in from the Add-in Manager is part of the machine's Access installation -- it has to be, because I can pull in MyTools.MDE with no database open, and when I re-start Access without opening anything, the menu from MyTools is there.

 

[xenou]

Okay, thanks for the info.

 

[jasmith4]

One more point: the USysRegInfo table is only for releasing as an add-in: its data determine the menu entries off the Add-Ins tool and which functions they run. It's not necessary if you pull in an MDB as a reference.

 

[xenou]

I'm thinking I should try an addin just for the benefit of my own experience - maybe I've been missing out. I believe that SydneyGeek has used them before and found it helpful too.
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