Re: ODBC connection to mdb for MacIntosh


"Jim Gordon MVP" <goldkey74@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Ospo$u8lFHA.1464@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 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.

This is not true. As long as the computer has ODBC drivers for an Access
database, it does NOT have to have Access installed.


> 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.

Why? I'm not sure that I follow. Maybe the problem is not that it's
impossible, but that the information is not readily available. Please don't
take this the wrong way, but given the fact that you seem to be under the
impression that you actually have to have Access installed on a machine for
you to talk to an Access database, you may not be the most definitive source
on this issue. If you had to have Access installed for ODBC to work, then
you could not host Access databases on UNIX servers and access them via php,
cgi, etc.

Is there maybe another forum, perhaps on the Apple site, where I might
encounter people with more specific expertise relevant to my question?

> 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).

Filemaker pro is crap. Trust me on this one.

> 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.

See above. People host mdb databases on UNIX boxes all the time. So it
seems it should just be a matter of finding the right driver.

> 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.

File permissions have nothing to do with it. Is this an Excel forum? I
thought it was an "other products" forum.

> 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.

But unfortunately no one has any drivers to make the connection!

Oh, well, I'll keep looking. If you can suggest any further forums, I'd
appreciate it.

Thanks;

Amy


.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: ODBC connection to mdb for MacIntosh
    ... >>> Microsoft Access does not exist for the Mac. ... In order to use ODBC ... >>> the data tables (the .mdb file) has to reside on a Windows computer that ... As long as the computer has ODBC drivers for an Access ...
    (microsoft.public.mac.otherproducts)