2 A5 Databases With A Common Tbl

[SMARTII]

Is there such a thing as having 2 A5 DataBases that access a common Table?
What I'm trying to accomplish is:
User A has a full-featured DataBase, many tbls, Many Menu selections, among which is ABC.tbl

User B only needs to access ABC.tbl. , They can add delete, Print etc.

What is the best way to do it?
I don't want User B getting into or even "see" any other features of User A's DataBase

[aschone]

Re: 2 A5 Databases With A Common Tbl

Yes, this is possible. I am sharing a table across 9 other databases.

What is the best way to do it?

Create database A and database B. Add the shared table to both databases.

[Bill Parker]

Re: 2 A5 Databases With A Common Tbl

Just remember that this is best done when both database files (.adb) are in the same directory. In that case no hard coded paths are stored in the databases, so the database could be moved to a different directory and still work fine.

If tables from different directories are added to a database, then Alpha stores full paths and it is more difficult to move to a different location.

Bill.

[aschone]

Re: 2 A5 Databases With A Common Tbl

The pathing issue that Bill indicates is true. In my situation I coded a UDF that verifies the correct paths of the tables. If the database folder was moved it will drop and re-add the folder form the using the correct path.

For your reference here is my UDF that I wrote to correct the tables.

'Date Created: 05-Nov-2008 09:37:25 AM
'Last Updated: 21-Mar-2009 02:26:33 PM
'Created By  : AWS
'Updated By  : andy
FUNCTION f_ins_table_loc AS L ( )
	DIM vDB_PathC as C
	DIM vDB_Root_PathC as C
	DIM vDB_Path_End_FolderC as C									

	vDB_PathC = a5.get_path()										'"C:\DB_Dev\test\VanCamp"
	
	vDB_Path_End_FolderC = lastword(a5.get_path(),chr(92))			'"VanCamp"
	vDB_Root_PathC = stritran(vDB_PathC,vDB_Path_End_FolderC,"")	'"C:\DB_Dev\test\"

	DIM vIns_PathC as C
	DIM vIns_Root_PathC as C
	DIM vIns_Path_End_FolderC as C
	

	vIns_PathC = table.actual_filename_get("ins")					'G:\A5Ver5\MasterIns\ins.dbf"
'	ui_msg_box("table.actual_filename_get('ins')",vIns_PathC)

'	vIns_Path_End_FolderC = lastword(stritran(vIns_PathC,"\ins.dbf",""),chr(92))	'"masterins"
'	vIns_Root_PathC = stritran(vIns_PathC,vIns_Path_End_FolderC+"\ins.dbf","")	 	'"g:\a5ver5\"
	
	if upper(vIns_PathC) <> upper(vDB_Root_PathC + "Masterins\ins.dbf") .and. ("C:\\"$vDB_PathC) then
	    ui_msg_box("","Wrong Insurance table in use" + crlf()+"Dropping " + vIns_PathC + crlf()+"Adding " + vDB_Root_PathC+"masterins\ins.dbf")	
		file_drop_from_db(vIns_PathC)
		file_add_to_db(vDB_Root_PathC+"\masterins\ins.dbf")
   		f_ins_table_loc = .f.						'return false if tables were wrong
   	else
	    f_ins_table_loc = .t.		   				'return true if tables were correct
	end if
   	
END FUNCTION

[martinwcole]

Re: 2 A5 Databases With A Common Tbl

A lot also depends on whether both are shadowed or not. In a medical app, run with Terminal Services, there are 30 separates folders - one for each hospital, nursing home, etc., and one for the home office. Almost all lookup tables (that are mostly static) are in the HomeOffice folder, and are used by all of the other facilities. This way when we add or change a lookup table, we don't have to propogate the changes to the other folders/adb's.

In this case, since the path will never change and none are shadowed, pathing is not an issue.

[csda1]

Re: 2 A5 Databases With A Common Tbl

Hi Tom,

Is there such a thing as having 2 A5 DataBases that access a common Table?
What I'm trying to accomplish is:
User A has a full-featured DataBase, many tbls, Many Menu selections, among which is ABC.tbl

User B only needs to access ABC.tbl. , They can add delete, Print etc.

What is the best way to do it?
I don't want User B getting into or even "see" any other features of User A's DataBase

While you can share the table, it is not possible if you use Alpha's database security.

But you could easily have features that are not active and invisible for some and present for others in the same database, simplifying common maintenance of similar or identical code and layouts.

[SMARTII]

Re: 2 A5 Databases With A Common Tbl

I am grateful to all of you for your assistance.
This is encouraging.
This will be an very active table where records are added/printed/deleted daily, sometimes by 4 or more users, using different "A5 Databases", but they have just this one tbl in common.
Fortunately, the record is a single RTF field that is populated by an I-net site, so no "changing"/"editing" will take place, just add from the site, or Print, or delete existing, that's it.
As for Martin's idea, I do have "quasi-static" tbls used for lookups, and a common folder sounds like the ticket for 50 or so users in various locations addressing the same server.