Adding a MS Access DB (.mdb) to an existing program

AndyAinscrow wrote:
"You don't is the simple answer.
You distribute TWO files - your exe and the mdb with the installation package of your choice."

Note:  I must be able to add, view, edit, records from the database in my program.  Your answer does not seem logical.  The program MUST be able to access the database therefore your answer is not valid.

It is the access to the database that I am trying to get going in my program.

See this:
"I have a program that I want to use MS Access to build a DB for the program's data.  How do I get the (mdb) installed in the existing program after I create it in MS Access?  Please provide step-by-step with code samples(in MFC), in your explannation."
Naturally all the data will not be present in the database upon initial installation so updates must be possible from the program according to the User's program usage, therefore the ".mdb" database MUST BE program accessible.

>> How do I get the (mdb) installed in the existing program after I create it in MS Access?


As I said in my (illogical, invalid) previous comment the mdb is NOT installed in the exe, it is a separate file you distribute.


Are you wanting to know how to distribute the two files in an installation package?
Are you wanting to know how to read/write into an mdb database from your app?
(Two very different things - the second is nothing to do with install)

MFC has a number of classes dedicated to Access databases:


DAO Classes  


These classes work with the other application framework classes to give easy access to Data Access Object (DAO) databases, which use the same database engine as Microsoft Visual Basic and Microsoft Access. The DAO classes can also access a wide variety of databases for which Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers are available.

Programs that use DAO databases will have at least a CDaoDatabase object and a CDaoRecordset object.

Note  
As of Visual C++ .NET, the Visual C++ environment and wizards no longer support DAO (although the DAO classes are included and you can still use them). Microsoft recommends that you use ODBC for new MFC projects. You should only use DAO in maintaining existing applications.
 

CDaoWorkspace
Manages a named, password-protected database session from login to logoff. Most programs use the default workspace.

CDaoDatabase
A connection to a database through which you can operate on the data.

CDaoRecordset
Represents a set of records selected from a data source.

CDaoRecordView
A view that displays database records in controls.

CDaoQueryDef
Represents a query definition, usually one saved in a database.

CDaoTableDef
Represents the stored definition of a base table or an attached table.

CDaoException
Represents an exception condition arising from the DAO classes.

CDaoFieldExchange
Supports the DAO record field exchange (DFX) routines used by the DAO database classes. You will normally not directly use this class.

Related Classes
CLongBinary
Encapsulates a handle to storage for a binary large object (BLOB), such as a bitmap. CLongBinary objects are used to manage large data objects stored in database tables.

COleCurrency
Wrapper for the OLE automation type CURRENCY, a fixed-point arithmetic type, with 15 digits before the decimal point and 4 digits after.

COleDateTime
Wrapper for the OLE automation type DATE. Represents date and time values.

COleVariant
Wrapper for the OLE automation type VARIANT. Data in VARIANTs can be stored in many formats.

There are numerous samples supplied with Visual C++ for using the above classes.  (I could spend a few hundred hours trying to write all about it here - simpler for you to look it up in the help files).

I guess I am posing the question wrong. Your solution indicates this.

I have a program that will require a database to contain it's data. I have choosen a MS Access (.mdb) database(not yet filled with data).  The user of the program, in time, will want to save his work somewhere.  It is at this point that the User will begin placing data into the database.  The .mdb DB is an ODBC which will use the Jet Database engine for receiving and sending data to the program.

I don't know how to get data from the database or send it to the database in the program.  This is why I came to Experts Exchange!  TO FIND OUT HOW TO DO SO!

Sure, there are many examples in MSDN, but understanding there usage is another thing, isn't it?  If I understood it I wouldn't need Experts Exchange, would I?  The ENROLL sample is confusing to me in the method that they use it.

If you know, please show me how to send data (CStrings) to a database and receive data (CStrings) from the database I;ve explained above.

Crudely (typing from memory, might not be spelt quite correctly):

CDaoDatabase db;
db.Open(_T("C:\\Mystuff.mdb"));

CDaoRecordset rs(&db);
rs.Open(dbOpenDynaset, _T("SELECT * FROM MyTable"));
rs.MoveFirst();

COleVariant v;
rs.GetFieldValue(_T("Column1"), v);

CString s = (LPCTSTR)v.bstrVal;     //Now got the current content.
COleVariant v2(_T("Hello world"));

rs.Edit();
rs.SetFieldValue(_T("Column1"), v2);
rs.Update();

rs.Close();
db.Close();

Now you should have 'Hello world' in the field called 'Column1' which is in the table called MyTable in your Mystuff.mdb file.

Is it now working?

I do NOT use "CDaoDatabase db;"
I use "CDatabase db" and my class is derived from "CRecordSet"
CDatabase* pDb;
see below:
class CDBSet : public CRecordset
{
public:
      CDBSet(CDatabase* pDatabase = NULL);
      DECLARE_DYNAMIC(CDBSet)
// other stuff .......

};

From what I see.
Question asked 08/11 @ 01:52
various comments by me, including samples of how to get/set data into an access database with MFC classes specific to MS Access databases.
Comment 14/11 @ 08:33 - now saying you want to use a different class, one that is general and may well offer less performance.

<pre>// Create and open a database object;
// do not load the cursor library
CDatabase db;
db.OpenEx( NULL, CDatabase::forceOdbcDialog );

// Create and open a recordset object
// directly from CRecordset. Note that a
// table must exist in a connected database.
// Use forwardOnly type recordset for best
// performance, since only MoveNext is required
CRecordset rs( &db );
rs.Open( CRecordset::forwardOnly,
        _T( "SELECT * FROM SomeTable" ) );

// Create a CDBVariant object to
// store field data
CDBVariant varValue;

// Loop through the recordset,
// using GetFieldValue and
// GetODBCFieldCount to retrieve
// data in all columns
short nFields = rs.GetODBCFieldCount( );
while( !rs.IsEOF( ) )
{
  for( short index = 0; index < nFields; index++ )
  {
     rs.GetFieldValue( index, varValue );
     // do something with varValue
  }
  rs.MoveNext( );
}

rs.Close( );// Create and open a database object;
db.Close( );</pre>

"AndyAinscow wrote:"
"Are you wanting to know how to read/write into an mdb database from your app?"

There are several "Tables" in the .mdb  Must I get a different connection for each table?  The reason I asked this is the mechanism that creates the connection only created a connection for a single "Table".

The reason is "Are you wanting to know how to read/write into an mdb database from your app?"
the answer is yes!

>>There are several "Tables" in the .mdb  Must I get a different connection for each table?

No, you can connect mutiple tables together with a query (in access) and base the recordset on the query.

Alternatively you can reuse the database object for multiple recordsets (either table or query based), just do not close the database object until the last recordset is also closed.

"No, you can connect mutiple tables together with a query (in access) and base the recordset on the query."

Ex;: Table = "c_Mail"  (connection point already established in program)
"c_User"  another table in the database. how do I get access to that table in my program, when the connection was made in "c_Mail". Please be specific.

Instead of using the following for a table
rs.Open( CRecordset::forwardOnly,
        _T( "SELECT * FROM SomeTable" ) );

you can use the following for a query
rs.Open( CRecordset::forwardOnly,
        _T( "SELECT * FROM SomeQuery" ) );