Access Database Comparer

[nishanmaly]

Hi E'one

I need a Software which will enable me to compare two databases , and list down all differences including tables , Forms , queries , Reports , etc etc ...

I've been checking several trial versions , but wasn't impressed much.Any experiences and recommendations ????

 

[MichaelRed]

Depends, a bit, on what you really want. Just the objects isn't particularly difficult. but also not very reliable. The "easy" part is to compare the MSysObjects tables of the two apps (databases). MSysObjects is a hidded and undocumented (System) table. brief perusal thereof should show you the relvant fields. Using the "Get External Data" (Link - NOT Import) of a foregin db then provides a convienient parir of recordsets with names and dates of objects, so a 'compairison' is just a select query where the join is on the name and object type. Three sets of criteria show the objective differences:

Objects in the native app, not in the foregin one;
Objects in the foregin app, not in the native one; &
Objects in both with different time stamps.

The difficulty is in the time stamps, since Ms. A, records each and every "touch" as a modification even though it may have been just a "visit" and not an actual change, you need to exercise caution in using the info to declare one of the objects as the "better".




MichaelRed

 

[nishanmaly]

well .. i do neet to compare the attributes of controls in the forms , fields of tables etc etc ... so it's quite detailed

 

[jrbarnett]

I've found this one very useful in the past:

http://www.matpie.drw.net/PBSystems/products/retired/MDBDiff.html

John

 

[MichaelRed]

the reference jrbarnett specifically states that the target routine is only for recordset items (tables. queries ... ) and refers to "FMS" for a more complete workup. I have recently been casually introduced to "FMS", but cannot yet say wheather they would do all the details you allude to.

I CAN say that an exhaustive comparision of the attributes (properties) of the set of objects in two ".MDB"s is at least a reasonable challenge.

One approach you MIGHT look at is the built-in Documentor, outputting the information collected to table(s) vs the printed report (the default) and then attempting to do some standard (wizzard?) queries to find the differences. In a seperate db using hte two tables, the UnMatched (from both directions) would show the additions / deletions. Using only the common set of objects, you could then compare the various attributes (properties) of the common elements. Still a large undertaking, as there are numerous (occassionally > 100) such properties for an object.





MichaelRed