ACC: How to Determine If a Database Is Open Exclusively

• Microsoft Access versions 2.0, 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

When a database is open exclusively, no other process or program can gain access to the database file. When a database is open not exclusively, other processes can gain shared access to the .mdb file. This article describes how to use the Open statement in code to determine if a database is open exclusively.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft Access version 2.0. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Building Applications" manual.

MORE INFORMATION

The Open statement's Shared argument enables you to attempt to gain access to a file in shared mode. If that file is the current database, and if it is open exclusively, a "Permission denied" error message occurs. No error message occurs if the database is open not exclusively, or shared. You can trap for this error to determine in what mode the database is open.

The following sample function demonstrates how to use the Open statement to determine in what mode the current database is open. This function is most useful to programmers who want to warn users that the database being opened is in the incorrect mode:

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb (or NWIND.MDB in version 2.0) exclusively.

2. Create a module and type the following line in the Declarations section if it is not already there:

         Option Explicit
   

3. Type the following procedure:

         Function IsCurDBExclusive () As Integer
         '   Purpose: Determine if the current database is open exclusively.
         '   Returns: 0 if database is not open exclusively.
         '            -1 if database is open exclusively.
         '            Err if any error condition is detected.
   
           Dim db As Database
           Dim hFile As Integer
           hFile = FreeFile
   
           Set db = dbengine.workspaces(0).databases(0)
           If Dir$(db.name) <> "" Then
             On Error Resume Next
               Open db.name For Binary Access Read Write Shared As hFile
                 Select Case Err
                   Case 0
                     IsCurDBExclusive = False
                   Case 70
                     IsCurDBExclusive = True
                   Case Else
                     IsCurDBExclusive = Err
                 End Select
               Close hFile
             On Error GoTo 0
           Else
             MsgBox "Couldn't find " & db.name & "."
           End If
         End Function
   
   

4. To test this function, type the following line in the Debug window (or the Immediate window in version 2.0), and then press ENTER.

         If IsCurDBExclusive()=True Then Msgbox "It's Exclusive!"
   

   Note that the message "It's Exclusive!" appears.

5. Open the database not exclusively, and then repeat step 4. Note that the message box does not appear.

REFERENCES

For more information about the Open statement, search for "Open Statement" using the Microsoft Access 97 Help Index.

Keywords          : kbusage PgmHowTo GnlMu
Version           : 2.0 7.0 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbhowto