multiple user systems

[stickboy]

Hi all,

I am posting this message in the hope of getting a few ideas on the bst ways of creating multiple user systems.

At present I am splitting down datasheets into individual workbooks for people to work on - and then merging them back together at the end to collat the results.

Is there any way I can get them to work on the same list at the same time without data conflicts?

Just ideas at this stage would be supurb.
Thanks
stuart

 

[dk]

Hi,

Have you looked at shared workbooks? (Tools, Share workbook). There's some info in the help files. It will allow multiple users to edit the same workbook. However, if two users make changes to the same cell they will receive a warning and might discard someone else's changes. If each user is using a different sheet then you should be fine.

Another alternative is to use a database application, such as Microsoft Access. Obviously, if you don't know how to use Access then there will be a learning curve, which I personally think is well worth it.

Hope that is of some use

 

[stickboy]

Hi Dan,

thanks for your reply.
I have thought about shared workbooks - but it doesnt stop 2 people working on the same record at the same time (1 row is a record)

Also, each users spreadsheet doesnt show all the changes until saved and so conflicts could arise when people dont know what has happened on the other cases.

I have thought about access - but upon quickly testing -
I quickly set up a database to work across a network - 2 users.
Both could input new record at the same time, but as soon as one was amending a record, the whole table was locked and no other records could be used.
I looking into record locking in the options, and it was set to (lock record only).

Will Access work across a network like this? Locking the cases that people are working on, and leaving the rest available for use?
Thanks for you time.
Stuart

 

[dk]

Hi,

You'd usually set up forms to edit the data. In a form you can specify how record locking is dealt with - no locks, all records or edited records (which will be a page, or 4kb worth of records). If two users were to try and edit the same record then Access will warn you.