StP Database Administrator for MS Access version 2.3 Readme

Table of contents

• Overview
• Features
• Requirements
• What's new
• Installation
• Upgrade from previous version
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Licensing and pricing
• Contact information

Overview

StP Database Administrator (DBAdmin later) is a tool that allows you to manage your MS Access databases through your browser, providing various set of functions you can perform with your databases, without having downloading them, changing and uploading again. Most of features needed for database management are included, you can even create a new blank databases on-line.

Features:

• View tables in your database
• Creating/modifying/deleting tables, data in tables, stored procedures, views and relations (foreign keys) between tables
• Cycling through records in table, modifying/adding data if needed.
• Editing extended properties of fields(columns) in table, like description, default value, etc.
• Generates SQL statement for each table with syntax highlighting.
• Creating/modifying/deleting indexes
• Executing views and stored procedures
• Provides human-readable description of each relation between tables
• Free-Type Query allows running your own SQL queries (single or multiple, separated with semicolon).
• When executing multiple queries at once you have an option to rollback (using transactions) if one of them fails, or continue regardless any errors.
• Compact and repair database
• Creating back up copy of your database and restoring from backup
• Exporting your database structure in form of SQL statements.
• Setting/changing/removing database password.
• Saves database paths for quick access later (doesn't save database passwords though).
• XML and Excel (text-delimited) data export.
• Browsing for your database, so you do not need to type the path by yourself
• Checking for a new version in one click.
• And more...

Requirements

• ASP enabled web server (such as IIS or PWS) - required
• Sessions enabled on your web server - required
• Any Mozilla-compatible web browser: MS Internet Explorer 5.x or higher, Netscape 6.x or higher, Opera, Mozilla - required
• Write permissions on the web server - optional
• MSXML parser version 3.x or higher installed on the server - optional

What's new in version 2.3

There are several new features added that worth to mention. One of them is table rename. Note it is only available on hosts where ADOX is available. Most hosting providers have it installed, so should not be a problem.
Another feature (suggested by Ron) - support for linked tables. It requires ADOX as well. To use it, look for link just below "Create Table" button, on tables list page. If ADOX is not installed you will not see this link. Note, linked tables get broken when you move your database(s) to another place, so you will have to re-create them again.
And another one - system tables (suggested by Ron too). To be able to view system tables, you have to grant read permissions to them using MS Access itself. Here is a quick guide how to do it:

1. Open your database in MS Access. Go to Tools->Options, switch to View tab (opened by default) and check "System Object". Hit OK.
2. Now you will see some more tables (all starts with "MSys"). Click on one of them and go to Tools->Security->User and Group Permissions. Make sure "Read data" and "Read design" are both checked, then hit OK. Repeat this step on each system table.

Now you can enable (or disable later) viewing system tables in DBAdmin. Look in Settings page, you will see it there. By default, system tables are not shown.

And yet another feature - HTML editor for Text and Memo fields. Note that the editor itself is not written by me, I took a one from internet. So on the recedit.asp page, you will see a button "Edit" near all Text and Memo columns. Click on it and you'll get the editor.
Lookup for value. Though you still able to enter whatever data you want in related columns, a new "Lookup" button will appear near them, which will allow you to pick values from another, related table and column.

Below is the full list of changes in DBAdmin:

• New - Optional security. You can disable the internal security, which may be useful if you have installed DBAdmin in a secure folder.
• New - Session timeout can be configured from Settings page now. Maximum is 24 hours, which is a limitation of IIS.
• New - Allows renaming tables (note, that table creation/modified dates will be changed)
• New - Allows viewing of System tables. Read FAQ on the site if you have troubles with this feature (suggested by Ron)
• New - Added support for Linked tables (suggested by Ron).
• New - Boolean values in record edit form are now represented with checkboxes
• New - Added lookup feature for columns that related to other tables
• New - Built-in HTML editor for Text and Memo fields.
• New - Log-off button added
• Update - Find/Filter in table data view has finally replaced with true filter
• Update - Paging is now made easier (replaced to combo box)
• Bug fix - Unable (or error) to sort by columns that has a multi-word or registered words (submitted by Kevin Bates)
• Bug fix - Sometimes Default value got corrupted on the table's structure form
• Bug fix - When tryingt to delete a View or Stored Procedure, its name is not displayed on message box prompt
• Bug fix - Javascript error when you try to delete a table (submitted by Dominique Boyer)

For the full versions history, see History.htm file.

Installation

Below are steps that you should perform to successfully install DBAdmin.

1. Double click on the downloaded archive file and choose a directory where all unzipped files should be placed. This directory is temporary and can be safely removed after installation.
2. Open file "scripts\inc_config.asp" in any text editor such as Notepad and find the line:
   Const DBA_cfgAdminPassword = "admin"
   This is your password as administrator. You should change it to your own, so just replace "admin" with your new password.
3. Optional - DBAdmin uses Session object to store some settings and transfer them from page to page. If you want to change those Session variables names, you can do this in same "scripts\inc_config.asp" file - see remarks inside it.
4. Optional - If you want to use XML file to store your configuration and database paths, you should update the value of DBA_cfgProfilePath in the same file, and set it to a virtual path to XML file. Note that the folder where this file will reside MUST be created and have write access.
5. Now save configuration file, create some directory on your Web server (for example "dbadmin") and upload all files, including subfolders into it.
6. Configuration is done. Open your browser and navigate to DBAdmin main page ("default.asp").

Upgrade from version 1.x

You should remove any previous version installed on your server and upload the new one as is (after changes described in Installation section).

Upgrade from version 2.x

Just upload all files to your server, but keep your configuration file (scripts/inc_config.asp), to save your current settings. You may notice that all saved paths to databases are gone(related only when upgrading from version 2.0.x). Don't worry, you will have just re-create them, since the structure of profile's XML file has been changed slightly.
Starting from version 2.1.1, DBAdmin allows you using different versions of MSXML components. By default it will auto-detect the installed component, prefering MSXML 4, but you can explictly tell it which component to use, by editing "scripts/inc_config.asp" file and adding a new constant named "DBA_cfgMSXMLProgID". Refer to "scripts/inc_config.asp" file included with this installation.

FAQ

• Cannot create a blank database
  Make sure you that the folder in which you are trying to create a new database has write permissions. Usually there is always at least one folder that has it - a folder where your hosting provider lets you to place your MS Access databases
  
• I got an error "TypeLib not found" in inc_protect.asp
  A type library for ADO is not registered on your server, so you cannot use METADATA tag to specify it. Usually it happens on Windows 98 machines, but fortunately can be solved easy. Open the file "scripts\inc_config.asp"  in any text editor (such as Notepad) and find the line below:
  <!-- METADATA TYPE="typelib" uuid="00000205-0000-0010-8000-00AA006D2EA4" -->
  This should be the last line in this file. Delete it and instead type this text:
  <!--#include file=adovbs.inc -->
  This fix should solve the problem of ADOType library
  
• I can't see Views created with Database Administrator in MS Access.
  MS Access doesn't support Views, only Stored Procedures (named Queries in MS Access) can be created and changed. Stp Database Administrator, which uses ADO,  has full support for both Stored Procedures and Views. But if you want to be able to see your Views in MS Access later, always create them as Stored Procedures.
  
• I got error saying: "Cannot update. Database or Object is read-only".
  This error usually says that the folder where you put your database has no write permissions. If you got this error on your server, you should contact your hosting provider and ask which folder is designed for MS Access databases and place all your databases there (as well as DBAdmin configuration file). If the error occurs on your home computer, you should edit permissions of the folder and add IUSR_ComputerName (or Internet Guest Account) with write permissions.
  
• How to adjust permissions of the folder?
  Follow the link to Microsoft's Knowledge Base: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308418 (applies also to Windows 2000/NT).
  
• Why the application (IIS) freezes when trying to browse for database?
  This can occur if you have Norton Antivirus installed on the computer where IIS runs with Script Blocking feature enabled (even if Norton Antivirus is disabled by itself). To read more about this problem, follow this link:
  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;295375 .
  
• After upgrading from version 2.0.x to higher I don't see databases list in "Existing database"
  The structure of XML configuration file has been changed slightly, you should use Browse button to add your databases again to the list.
  
• How to open a database from DSN?
  Type in the text box (where the database path should go) the name of DSN. If you are getting an error like "Path couldn't be found", add "DSN=" just before your DSN name, like:
  DSN=MyDB
  

Licensing and pricing

DBAdmin is a free tool for any web-master for personal use only. Commercial use requires you to buy it. E.g. if you have an e-commerce web site, or you are selling from your site and DBAdmin in any way helps you (customers info stored in database, products, etc.), then you are a commercial user. Commercial license is given per site (or domain if doesn't points to same site), regardless how many users are using it, or how many databases you have. For latest prices, please visit DBAdmin home page. There are several options available but you can contact me if you need a special offer.

Links

• DBAdmin Home page
• StpWorks Web site
• Online translation tool
• StpWorks.com forum

Contact information

If you have any problems, questions, suggestions, feel free to either post in the StpWorks.com forum or write directly to my e-mail: stpatrick@mail.com. Make sure to check for updates, using the link in Database Administrator.

Philip Patrick, creator of Stp Database Administrator.