How is it possible to connect to MS Access 365 back end databases to create a PWA?
We have a software package called Job Tracker running on the Amazon AWS cloud. Each of our customers has a separate copy of the back end database called Job Tracker Data.accdb which they link to via an Environnment Variable called DBPath set up in their Active Directory. The code that links to each table is
tdf.Connect = "MS Access;PWD=#########;DATAB
That's fine within the main front end database codebase called Job Tracker Front EndDBPath.accdb, but how do we get to the same data from external programs other than MS Access?
Say I want to write a PWA accessing this data, how do I link in to each individual back end database? Is there some ODBC way to do this? Or some entirely different mechanism?
It seems I could do it if each back end database was a SQL Server instance, but I would prefer not to have to convert every one of our users to SQL Server back ends...
Sambodh
tdf.Connect = "MS Access;PWD=#########;DATAB
That's fine within the main front end database codebase called Job Tracker Front EndDBPath.accdb, but how do we get to the same data from external programs other than MS Access?
Say I want to write a PWA accessing this data, how do I link in to each individual back end database? Is there some ODBC way to do this? Or some entirely different mechanism?
It seems I could do it if each back end database was a SQL Server instance, but I would prefer not to have to convert every one of our users to SQL Server back ends...
Sambodh
I'm also unsure what PWA is. That said, if your application is on the same network, you should be able to connect to the access backend file by using the correct driver.
Assuming is Progressive Web Apps then you could easily adopt one Web Platform and use Access as BE.
Some years ago they asked around in the IT department i was working (they had a somewhat web developer but...another story) how some data would get displayed on mobile smartphone...although my "connection" to Web technologies is weak it took me just a few days to read PHPs documentation...use the driver and prepare a bootstrapped mobile oriented web page to serve the data.
Some years ago they asked around in the IT department i was working (they had a somewhat web developer but...another story) how some data would get displayed on mobile smartphone...although my "connection" to Web technologies is weak it took me just a few days to read PHPs documentation...use the driver and prepare a bootstrapped mobile oriented web page to serve the data.
ASKER
Sorry, you are both right, Progressive Web App is PWA...
And yes John, we are seeking to display the data on mobile smartphones. Currently we use a very crude mobile app crafted via JotForm and then funnelled back into the back end database using VBA code inside the front end. Did you succeed in bootstrapping together a solution using PHP back then?
Sambodh
And yes John, we are seeking to display the data on mobile smartphones. Currently we use a very crude mobile app crafted via JotForm and then funnelled back into the back end database using VBA code inside the front end. Did you succeed in bootstrapping together a solution using PHP back then?
Sambodh
Well i can't say i am an expert in PHP although i did my homework some time ago (lets say i am in too many different platforms... :) ) but is dead simple
Just do your Google search for Web mobile app PHP + bootstrap...install the WAMP or XAMP for getting the Apache running along with PHP....activate PHP Access driver..design a page that "fits" mobile layout...get the Query to pull the data from Access to the divs/table and off you go...the beauty with Web development is that you start with a "basic" page that does nothing more than displaying the data and on the way you "push" extra features....like if your Boss tells you "Elliot i want a button to do this..." you put the button ..assign the action..and on the next refresh on the smartphone the feature is there.
Just do your Google search for Web mobile app PHP + bootstrap...install the WAMP or XAMP for getting the Apache running along with PHP....activate PHP Access driver..design a page that "fits" mobile layout...get the Query to pull the data from Access to the divs/table and off you go...the beauty with Web development is that you start with a "basic" page that does nothing more than displaying the data and on the way you "push" extra features....like if your Boss tells you "Elliot i want a button to do this..." you put the button ..assign the action..and on the next refresh on the smartphone the feature is there.
I'm not sure I see this as simple; I think the rub will be the part about active directory storing the location of the DB. That adds another layer on this. It's not simply a matter of a connection to a web server and configuring ODBC.
But I don't do web/mobile work, so I may be off-base.
Jim.
But I don't do web/mobile work, so I may be off-base.
Jim.
ASKER
Hi Jim,
Each customer's back end database resides in a subfolder of the Remote Desktop Host called JobTracker and that folder is named after their customer name, e.g.D:\ JobTracker\CurtisElectrica
I would love to see this work somehow...
Sambodh
Each customer's back end database resides in a subfolder of the Remote Desktop Host called JobTracker and that folder is named after their customer name, e.g.D:\ JobTracker\CurtisElectrica
I would love to see this work somehow...
Sambodh
The mobile app will just has access to a web page that is mobile oriented..forget about mapped drives and the existing infrastucture..
There will be code that will "load" the data to the page...if there is a security issue the simplest thing is to put a login screen...
There will be code that will "load" the data to the page...if there is a security issue the simplest thing is to put a login screen...
<<.if there is a security issue the simplest thing is to put a login screen...>>
Yeah, that's what I was getting at....or somehow passing the clientID.
<<that folder is named after their customer name, e.g.D:\ JobTracker\CurtisElectrica
That makes it easier because then you don't really need to query AD. You can come up with the path as long as you know the client that is connecting.
Jim.
Yeah, that's what I was getting at....or somehow passing the clientID.
<<that folder is named after their customer name, e.g.D:\ JobTracker\CurtisElectrica
That makes it easier because then you don't really need to query AD. You can come up with the path as long as you know the client that is connecting.
Jim.
ASKER
Hi Jim and John,
I guess you could store the client name CurtisElectrical in the local cache of the application on the mobile device, and then you have the path to the back end database. How do you go about making an ODBC link into the data if you are not using Access to write the mobile app? I am still not convinced it is possible to write say a PWA accessing this data...
Sambodh
I guess you could store the client name CurtisElectrical in the local cache of the application on the mobile device, and then you have the path to the back end database. How do you go about making an ODBC link into the data if you are not using Access to write the mobile app? I am still not convinced it is possible to write say a PWA accessing this data...
Sambodh
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What exactly you want to accomplish...turn the BE to "cloud awareness" ?