Re: Updating a database

On Mon, 5 Sep 2005 16:29:32 +0200, "Ivan Debono" <ivanmdeb@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
in <uhKE1VisFHA.2936@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

>Hi all,
>
>This problem is not indirectly related to VB only because my application is
>written in VB6, whilst the backend is an Access database. The database is
>also versioned, ie. has a table 'id' with a column 'version'
>
>I have the following scenario:
>User A and User B install first version of the application. Version 1.0
>I do changes to the app and the database (add fields, change queries,
>etc...). Version 1.1
>User A updates to Version 1.1
>I do changes to the app and the database (add fields, change queries,
>etc...). Version 1.2
>User A updates to Version 1.2
>User B updates to Version 1.2 from Version 1.0
>
>Updates/patches will be downloaded for the internet or emailed. Updating the
>application is easy with InstallShield.
>
>But how can I implement a method to make updating a database from version x
>to version y as easy as possible? Are there standard patch methods used or
>do people develop their own?
>
>Thanks,
>Ivan
>

I've developed my own and although I use MSDE the approach applies just as well
to an Access backend.

My entire database including stored procedures, functions, triggers, and tables
are all scripted so that creating a database for a new installation just
involves running the appropriate scripts. Updates are accomplished in a similar
manner by a helper program which gets the updates from the Internet and directs
the update by running the appropriate scripts.

Static data such as zip code tables are also represented in text files in tab
delimited format. The static data and script text files are then compressed and
stored in a resource. The update program then just retrieves the appropriate
resource file, decompresses it and runs the script.

This approach requires that you have an intelligent installer/updater but I got
the feeling that you'd pretty much already decided on that path. I'll be glad
to share any code that you might find useful.

---
Stefan Berglund
.

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