creating Access database from MFC DAO

Why can't you just provide an empty database ?

Perhaps because it's too big? Anyway, I need to create it in runtime. Is that hard or what?

As for the iteration down through all the tabledefs and such - I knew this was a way, but it sounds too complicated. I'd need more info about the DDL.  Is it possible to export that DDL info from Access? I can't see how to do that in my old Access 7.0... Or how to obtain the SQL DDL scripts you talk about? I need to do exactly what you write in your last paragraph...

Well, here's a sample of an SQL script to create a table:

create table re (
      mls      int,      
      price      real not null,      
      owner      char(40) not null,      
               etc...lots more like this...
      brkemail char(50))

and here's some VB code from an MS Access VBA Module that iterates through the tables (but doesn't get everything, since in this app I didn't need all the data structure):

 Dim dbs As Database, x$, i As Integer, j As Integer, y$
 Dim tdf As TableDef, idx As Index
 Dim tbl$(), ndx$(), ndxfld$()
 ReDim tbl$(0), ndx$(0), ndxfld$(0)
 x$ = CurDir + "\"
 Set dbs = OpenDatabase(x$ + "DP2CMN.MDB")
 With dbs
  For Each tdf In .TableDefs
   If InStr(tdf.Name, "_ImportErrors") > 0 Then
    'format sql to drop table
    x$ = "Drop Table " & tdf.Name
    dbs.Execute x$
   ElseIf Left$(tdf.Name, 4) <> "MSys" And Right$(UCase$(tdf.Name), 3) <> "XRF" Then
    ReDim Preserve tbl$(UBound(tbl$) + 1)
    'save this table name for later build
    tbl$(UBound(tbl$)) = tdf.Name
    tdf.Indexes.Refresh
    ReDim Preserve ndx$(UBound(ndx$) + 1)
    If tdf.Indexes.Count > 0 Then
     'save index name
     ndx$(UBound(ndx$)) = tdf.Indexes(0).Name
    End If
    ReDim Preserve ndxfld$(UBound(ndxfld$) + 1)
    If tdf.Indexes.Count > 0 Then
     For i = 0 To tdf.Indexes(0).Fields.Count - 1
     'save index field names
     ndxfld$(UBound(ndxfld$)) = ndxfld$(UBound(ndxfld$)) + tdf.Indexes(0).Fields(i).Name + ","
     Next i
     If Len(ndxfld$(UBound(ndxfld$))) > 0 Then 'remove trailing comma
      ndxfld$(UBound(ndxfld$)) = Left$(ndxfld$(UBound(ndxfld$)), Len(ndxfld$(UBound(ndxfld$))) - 1)
     End If
    End If
   End If
  Next tdf
 End With
'and so on.  You only need to add collections/items/properties to the loop to gather all information you need to create the SQL statements to rebuild the database structure.  For instance, saving all the field names, sizes and datatypes for each table, as well as all the index names and their fields used, etc.  It's a little work, but once you do it in a general way, you can use it on any database to save and restore the structure.  

Essentially, using DAO collections, your databases are self documenting, but you have to work to gather all needed data from the object collections by getting and saveing the propeties, then using the methods available to create a database, and also formatting SQL that will build tables, indexes, and relations.  A really god book that describes all that's available is "Hitchhiker's Guide To Visual Basic and SQL Server" from Microsoft Press.  The JET engine/DO object and it's collections, properties, and methods are described in detail, with ample examples.

Thank you.