Is it possible to host Access forms online?

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Is it possible to host Access forms online?

I have developed a few forms for analysing data on a access database. Now I would like to know if it would be possible to host the forms on a link over the net having the database in a different system. Basically I want the database to be in a different system, the user should see the forms and use it but all processing, must take place in the system where the database is. The user must then be able to see the results.

Is this possible?

+2 A:

No, it's not possible. The web has a separate client for user interaction (usually the browser) and a server for storage. Browsers do not support Access for GUI interaction.

However, you can still use Access for storage (although this is not advisable), but you will have to find a solution for converting the Access forms to web forms. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools available that can do that for you.

Prutswonder 2010-04-16 10:15:19

But bare in mind that Access is not really suited to a multi-user environment like the web. See best practices section of http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303528

Dan Diplo 2010-04-16 10:27:23

I totally agree, I just forgot to include that in my answer. :-)

Prutswonder 2010-04-16 10:56:57

@Dan Diplo: The statement that "Access is not really suited to a multi-user environment" by itself is WRONG. It's perfectly suited to a multi-user environment. It's *not* suited to a multi-user SERVER environment. The cited URL says "Microsoft Jet is not intended for use with high-stress server applications, high-concurrency server applications, or 24 hours a day, seven days a week server applications. This includes server applications, such as Web applications, commerce applications, transactional applications, and messaging server applications." That's not exactly what you wrote.

David-W-Fenton 2010-04-27 00:27:31

Access 2010 changes the equation here when used with Sharepoint. It makes it possible to deploy an Access app on the client workstation that can also be served up 99.99% identically via a web browser (through Sharepoint 2010's new Access services). This is a huge step forward for Access.

David-W-Fenton 2010-04-27 00:28:30

@David-W-Fenton You can perfectly well see I said a "multi-user environment *like the web* ". I think it was obvious what I meant. I notice you seem to be on a bit of a crusade for Access (why?). Fine, clear up misconceptions if you feel them wrong, but don't wilfully misconstrue peoples' points in doing so. Access is *not* suited as the back-end database for web applications that can be freely accessed via the web. I know, I've seen the problems that can arise when this happens. There are plenty of free alternatives, like SQL Server express, which are better suited.

Dan Diplo 2010-04-27 08:40:38

@Dan Diplo: I thought about addressing your qualification, but I realized you used the wrong base objection. The problem is not "multi-user environment like the web" -- it's not multi-user environment at all that's the problem. It's trying to use Access in a multi-user SERVER environment (which is precisely what I said). That is, it's the SERVER part of the equation that makes Jet/ACE inappropriate, not the MULTI-USER part. I ENTIRELY agree that Jet/ACE is not approprate as back end for web applications, but it's not because of multi-user issues, but because of the web server environment.

David-W-Fenton 2010-04-28 00:05:02

Why am I on a crusade for Access? Because there are a lot of people out there who are ignorant and going around bad-mouthing Access when they don't have a frigging clue what they are talking about. Your comment that emphasized a multi-user environment as the reason for the inappropriateness of Jet/ACE is a misconstrual of the problem, and tends to reinforce the erroneous impression that many, many people who don't understand Access/Jet/ACE have about Access's database engine -- that it can't do multi-user at all. I think I was pretty clear about what I was addressing in your comment.

David-W-Fenton 2010-04-28 00:05:49

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Is it possible to host Access forms online?

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