Re: ODBC connection to mdb for MacIntosh

Hi Amy,

Let's go back the beginning of this topic.

> The only drivers anyone
> has pointed me at have been for a mdb that is resident on a PC somewhere,
> and that's useless to me.

Microsoft Access does not exist for the Mac. In order to use ODBC Microsoft Access has to be able to manipulate the data tables. Therefore the data tables (the .mdb file) has to reside on a Windows computer that has MS Access on it. Consequently it is impossible to have the mdb file hosted on a Mac and expect to use ODBC or anything else to get it to work. It has to be hosted on a Windows computer. If you want a Mac only solution you might wish to consider a different brand of database that has a Macintosh version (FileMaker pro may fill this requirement, but there may be some SQL limitations - not sure).

The SQL commands are sent to Access via ODBC. The commands are generated on a Mac running MS Query in Microsoft Office (or other ODBC compliant software). You can use the MS Query interface to create any SQL command and execute the command.

No, you can not put the mdb file on a mac and connect to MS Access via ODBC because MS Access only runs in windows, not on a Mac. MS Access has to be there and able to run.

Setting network and file permissions is the same for a Mac client as it is for Windows clients. Since this topic is about how to use and configure Microsoft Windows, it it is beyond the scope of Excel for the Macintosh so I'm not going to try to answer it except to say that ODBC needs to be able establish a connection to Access and have permssion to read and write to the mdb file in order for it to work.

Any VBA SQL command that required the Microsoft ODBC add-in will work in Office 98 and 2001 but the add-in has not been brought forward to work in Excel v.X or 2004. But I am pretty sure a direct SQL command to update a row in a table works in all Mac versions.

-Jim


--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP
MVP FAQ
<http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;mvpfaqs>


Amy Blankenship wrote:
"Jim Gordon MVP" <goldkey74@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:eUzI2JjlFHA.3780@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi,

Microsoft Query is part of Office 2004 (and previous versions). Excel and Word can be used to generate input forms. You can take the data that is input and use SQL commands to update Microsoft Access tables.


OK, you're saying that there IS a way to use SQL to update an Access file that is in fact resident on a Mac and not a PC server? Is this method available generally through ODBC or something else to all applications, or do you have to use specifically the Office version of Excel or Word to do this?

If it's available to other applications, where can I get the drivers to make it work? If not, can I hook those other applications through one of the office apps to make the connection in a way that's transparent to the user?


How much work that involves depends mostly upon your skill set. You will need to learn some visual basic and some SQL, neither of which is trivial, but both subjects are not too difficult to master for most people.


My experience with the Execute command when called from outside Access is that it won't execute any VBA functions when called through ODBC from outside Access, so I think my knowledge of VBA, while pretty good, is unlikely to be helpful.


The built-in help system is good. Training materials in the form of books and interactive tutorials are available. Have you ever made a visual basic macro? Do you know any SQL?


The built-in help does not cover making an access file available cross platform, that I've been able to tell. If it does, please point me at the relevant information, and I'll look it up myself.

I know enough SQL to be able to handle the rest, once a connection is made. All I'm looking to do here is simply make a connection, but since no drivers come installed on my Mac, that's proving difficult. The only drivers anyone has pointed me at have been for a mdb that is resident on a PC somewhere, and that's useless to me.

Thanks;

Amy 


.

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