WHEN to Split an Access Database

[ARW17]

I've split finished databases before and understand how and the benefits of doing so. I have a project right now where I'm sequentially adding departments to a database. Right now, the first one is finished and I'm ready to move to the second. The first department (that's already functional in the database) will have 3 users that will work in it for about a day each month. I'm not sure if I need to make the split now and then manage the FE & BE separately as I add the next department or if it's better to wait and split it later since I'm only 1/7 of the way done with the whole project. It seems like it'll be easier for dept 1 to have FEs to use, but that it might be a pain for me to build the rest of the database swapping back & forth between the FE & BE. I'm looking for advice about the timing of splitting and everything I Google seems to just make the case that it should be done, but I can't find a decision tree about deciding when the best time is to do it.

 

[welshgasman]

See if this helps. For some strange reason, I have an issue copying a file multiple times almost everyday, when it only needs to be done once in a while.?

I understand and accept others prefer the batch option, simple and easy to implement, but that is just me.

Update FE for users

 

[Joe4]

I have an issue copying a file multiple times almost everyday, when it only needs to be done once in a while.?

A slight "tweak" to the batch file I proposed can easily accommodate this.
Simply have the batch file on the network, and have everyone have a shortcut on their desktop to it.
And add version numbers to the FE databases.
Then, modify your batch file to check to see if the user already has the most current version number, and if they do not copy it down, otherwise do not.
So then every time you have an update to the FE, you would just update the batch file to reflect the latest version number.

 

[welshgasman]

A slight "tweak" to the batch file I proposed can easily accommodate this.
Simply have the batch file on the network, and have everyone have a shortcut on their desktop to it.
And add version numbers to the FE databases.
Then, modify your batch file to check to see if the user already has the most current version number, and if they do not copy it down, otherwise do not.
So then every time you have an update to the FE, you would just update the batch file to reflect the latest version number.

That then starts to bring it into the realms of a standard FE update routine, and removes the simplicity of just copying all the time? Now you have to amend the batch file all the time.?
Fortunately I do not have to do this anymore, but I found Bob Larsen's code perfectly fine for me. Once implemented, forget about it.

Here is another code version for the O/P FBA DB Launcher - MS Access front-end deployment tool - ForestByteApps

As i said, it is just my, or was my preference when I had to maintain several DBs

 

[JonXL]

Access is a special creature.

Running queries and other operations - even on a split front-end - slowly increases its size and proneness to corruption and other strange things...

Copying a fresh file each and every time helps reduce the problems related to these. And my users all know that if anything does happen, correcting it is typically as easy as closing and reopening the app.

That tends to make me biased toward that strategy for deployment.