How to set up MS Access as front end to MySQL?

[idc1]

I am trying to set up MS Access as my front end to MySQL and I am having difficulties do such. Can someone please guide me through the process. Many thanks in advance.

[BigWetDog]

Your answer can be found here:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1378&bih=897&q=Using+Microsoft+Access+as+a+Front-end+to+MySQL&aq=f&aqi=g-b1&aql=&oq=

[Altrea]

Offtopic question:
Why should anybody want this?
Thats like using bobbycar tyres with a Hummer

P.S.: Make a guess: Which one is the bobbycar?

[BigWetDog]

More importantly why would they ask for it on this forum?
But there are actually cases for it.

[JonB]

Well, LOL _ I just left this one alone, as I was tempted to be waaay tooooo sarcastic on several different points, like Why would you, and Why ask here -

But you guys ran cover for me, AND I learned a new term - bobbycar!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby-Car

COOL!

/me wonders if Altrea is one of those bobbycar racing adults they mentioned

hehehehe

[Altrea]

/me wonders if Altrea is one of those bobbycar racing adults they mentioned

DON'T START A SEARCH FOR "Altrea + Bobby-Car" @ Youtube

hehe

[JonB]

And, despite my own feelings, I can make a case for why you would want to do this -

Suppose you had a locally developed (say LAN 1st - Access database) and whoops - you get the opportunity to include some valuable data that comes from a different source (like maybe health/hospital statistics from the CDC or a health ministry) and you want to use that data to extend the usefullness of your 'homebrew' Access application - well, that would work, right??/

OK, I wuz a bit harsh on Access - I have used it myself MANY times for Quick reporting and analysis. The last time being years of vehicular accident data provided by a state government that came in CSV with header format. I had a whole DVD full of data - five years of Florida motor vehicle acident data. (that's a lot of records in many many tables) It was way, way faster to import that on a desktop than do the MySQL thing with XAMPP or Linux.

[BigWetDog]

Jon,
In spite of what we may think of desktop database applications, and in particular Access, many organizations have a significant investment in Access, and Access applications. As those organizations grow, their need for concurrent data access emerges and grows. Access can no longer do the job. What to do? Rather than develop a new application front end, the data can be migrated to larger more scalable solutions, and the front end can remain in Access. Since at least v.2003 Access has supported using an MS SQL server backend, (and while I'm sure not technically supported, I suspect through ODBC, a MySQL backend as well). Said organization may also have an investment in other open source products such as Apache and PHP and talent to support them, so rather than incur the expense of MS SQL server licensing and support, why not utilize MySQL. Conceivably a web front end could be developed to replace the Access front end, but that's more time and money for said small organization, in addition to the time required for user familiarization training.

Another case that come to mind is what I have heard referred to as the Layer 8 requirement (i.e. "because the boss wants it"), or the chair-to-keyboard interface requirement.

And while also not a legitimate business case, sometimes we techies just like to climb mountains because they're there.

[JonB]

BWD

I think we agree actually. I am an expatriate IT consultant (which is how I became a server geek) and somewhat expert with databases (that's how I make a lot of my income) - I have built many front-ends for LAN based data with Access and VBA (and Crystal). The rise of MySQL (in respect to my career) is relatively recent. Most of my systems integrator days were spent with mid-to-large accounting platforms mostly running on Windows clients. That meant a succession of database 'back-ends' that were quite proprietary. MS SQL server has been just too expensive for most SMB's, until they came up with MS SQL Server Express (mostly to fight off all the folks that were installing MySQL on their spare windows servers).

Interestingly enough, on some MS server variants, the license terms precluded installing any other database server software on teh machine. This was ignored by many, BUT any good-sized organization steered clear of breaking their license, due to the BSA (Business Software Alliance) and their Gestapo methods.

Yes, I AM older than dirt.