VB.Net, Office solutions

Pinhead · 23 Feb 2006 at 10:32

Help - Im banging my head against a wall here...
I have created a program using VS.NET 2003.
It references the Microsoft Access 10 object library, through the COM tab.
When i create a setup project, i add all the dependences to the GAC, import to the registry etc etc but when i install and run the program, it wont work.

Now this may seema silly question, but to deploy a solution containing office XP references, so i need to have office installed on the target machine (yes, if i install Office on the target machine, It works, but i dont have enough licenses for it to stay there permanently). Surely there muct be a way of doing this?!?!

happytechie · 23 Feb 2006 at 10:37

if you want access to the office components than you need to have office installed on the target machine. you 'could' try to start adding the dlls by hand but the interdependancies are a nightmare and in the end you'll find that you need a license.

HT

Pinhead · 23 Feb 2006 at 10:46

cheers, thats exactly what i needed to know, pretty obvious really i suppose, but i didnt know if there was a way round it.
We have the access runtime on the machine, but that wont do the job. Need to buy access i suppose...
P.

happytechie · 23 Feb 2006 at 11:05

do you really need access or would windows forms and the freebie version of SQL server do the job for you?

HT

Pinhead · 23 Feb 2006 at 14:00

no, we need access.
Here we have SQL Server 2000 running our operations, and the clients use an access frontend. Since ive been here, ive automated loads of needless button clicking, but much of it involves exporting access reports and then emailing them. So i still need to be able to get to the access reports...
so what i do is through vb.net i create a ref to the access project, export the report through it, and then use vb for everything else i need.

Sparky191 · 23 Feb 2006 at 14:17

Why did you use access components in the first place? Could you not have just written everything you needed in VB.NET? Even buy a 3rd party reporting component if required.

Pinhead · 23 Feb 2006 at 15:28

because the system has been running in this company on access for over 7 years.
The data was migrated to sql server 2000 when it was released, keeping the access front end.
Do you fancy rewriting 500+ access forms and over 200 reports in vb.net?
Its like this because it works, would cost far too much to rewrite the front end, and access is better than most third party tools i know for creating the type of reports we need.

Sparky191 · 23 Feb 2006 at 15:45

How do they currently use these 500+ access forms and 200+ reports without it installed?

Pinhead · 23 Feb 2006 at 16:03

no, right, everyone else has the access runtime etc installed, so it all works fine.
This is for a new automation PC i am setting up, i am creating a number of extra smaller vb programs in vb.net which will handle various automation tasks, but still needs to access the original access reports.

Sparky191 · 23 Feb 2006 at 16:16

Ah that wasn't clear. As long as the App+ VBA + Office App is running on the one machine theres no problem, but if you try and run office server side from a client you can get weird stuff happening. Thats against the MS licence and is specifically/deliberately not supported. Not that whats you are doing. But just an aside. Just buy another lience and you are sorted.

Pinhead · 23 Feb 2006 at 16:36

sorry it wasnt clear

its a complicated setup sometimes.
Just found access XP upgrade for 60 quid. Jobs a goodun
Cheers all