New Features of Total Access Detective for Microsoft Access 2007
The
most powerful database, object, code, and text comparison product for
Access is now available for Microsoft Office Access 2007. If you need to
know exactly what changed between any two Access objects or databases,
Total Access Detective is for you.
Microsoft made a big investment to create Access 2007 and added a lot of
great new features with significant changes to objects, properties, VBA
code, the user interface, embedded macros, and an entirely new database
format with new field types.
Total Access Detective supports these new features with additional
enhancements to extend its functionality and simplify its use based on
our experiences and customer feedback.
Enhancements
We've made many enhancements compared to the Access 2003 version:
Total Access Detective 2007 supports all the database types used
by Microsoft Access 2007 including:
- The new ACCDB database format
- Jet Engine/MDB formats (Access 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2007)
- Access Data Projects (ADP) linked to SQL Server
Compares the new Access 2007 features
- New object properties
- New macro syntax and embedded macros on forms and reports
- New VBA module commands
- Saved Import/Export specifications
- New table field types such as multi-value and attachment
fields.
- These are also supported during data comparison and
combining data from two tables.
Sleek New Office/Access 2007 User Interface
Completely redesigned user interface to support the sleeker
Office/Access 2007, Vista/XP color schemes, and look and feel. The
user interface takes advantage of the new features such as:
- Tabbed views
- Resizable forms
- Datasheet filtering
- Alternating row colors for datasheets
- Transparent buttons with graphics
Main Menu for Two Database Comparison
Vista and User Security Support
- Total Access Detective is compatible with Vista and the new
User Access Control features
- Temporary files are placed in your user folder rather than
the Total Access Detective folder
- Help file is in the new web CHM format rather than old HLP
format
Many enhancements were made for comparing ADPs objects.
- For two ADP comparisons, a new process compares properties
that aren't in MDBs
- In an ADP, two tables can be now be compared
- Includes examination of extended properties
- Supports data comparison
- Supports combining data into a new table
New features let you better control the comparisons you generate.
Case Insensitive Module Comparison
For module comparisons, in addition to ignoring indentations, you
can now Ignore Case. This lets you avoid flagging differences due to
mismatched capital and lower case letters.
This option is also available for the Text Comparison feature.
More information on
Comparing Microsoft Access
Modules and Text
Separate
Table Object and Data Comparisons
When comparing two tables, you can compare either the table
design or data, or both. Previously, the design was always compared.
Text Comparison Feature for Two Database Comparison
The text comparison feature which was previously only available
under the two object comparison add-in, is now available on the two
database comparison side as well.
Compare Tables with Different Fields
Previously, data could only compared if the two tables had
identical field definitions. There are now several options to
compare tables:
- Compare fields by order regardless of field names
- Compare identical field names regardless of order
- Treat the first field of non-keyed tables as unique
Compare Data Between Queries
Data from two queries can now be compared with an option to
specify whether to perform a sequential search or use the first
field as a key field.
Ignore Small Differences Between Numbers
Specify whether you want to see all numeric differences, or
differences that exceed a certain percentage. This lets you avoid
small rounding errors and immaterial differences.
Data Comparison with Field by Field Results
Previously, during data comparison, modified records were only
displayed as individual records listing all the modified fields in
one record. This is now supplemented with an additional table
listing each field difference as a separate record showing the two
values.
More information:
Comparing Data in Microsoft
Access Tables and Queries
General Enhancements
Screen flashing is eliminated when comparing forms, reports, and
modules. This lets you minimize Total Access Detective while it’s
processing.
Two Object Comparison Enhancements
Last Analysis Results are Preserved
Previously, once you closed the results of your comparison, your
analysis was gone. Now, a Last Analysis button retrieves the
results. This is preserved even if you close the Total Access
Detective add-in and return (provided your database remains the
same).
Last Analysis is Available from the Add-in for Comparing Two
Objects
Similarly, the last selected object names are preserved when you
run Total Access Detective again.
Partial Comparison Results
If you cancel while the objects are being compared, the process
stops and the incomplete results displayed rather than discarded.
This can be particularly helpful when comparing data and you
decide to stop after it identifies a few differences and don’t need
all the differences.
Results Shown in Separate Tabs
Object and other differences (data or modules behind
forms/reports) are now shown on separate tabs:
Two Database Comparison Enhancements
Reduced Need to Prepare Databases
Previously, the Total Access Detective Prepare step was necessary
before comparing modules between two databases. This is no longer
needed when comparing MDB/ACCDB databases. Prepare is still required
for ADPs.
Finish Button Eliminates Manual Selections
The Database Comparison wizard now has a Finish button on all its
pages. Simply select the two databases and press Finish to compare
all the identically names objects. It skips the subsequent Wizard
pages, and uses the previously specified values.
Command Line Automation
To eliminate manually selecting the database and options, a
Windows shortcut can pass the names of the two databases to compare.
It then compares all the common objects in the two databases using
your last settings.
Support for Password Protected Databases
Objects in password protected databases are compared.
Reports for Two Database Comparison
Many new reports were added:
- Data Differences Fields Compared: shows the fields compared
when an option other than identical structures is used
- Table Data Comparison Paired Fields: shows paired field
values
- Portrait and Landscape reports for object comparison with
better support for long object names and property values
- When viewing object differences, reports are available for
the entire list or just the currently filtered list
- When viewing macro or module differences, reports are
available for the entire list or just the current macro/module.
- List of available reports with their description and default
file name when you export it.
Several reports were enhanced including:
- Data Differences Summary now shows total in addition to new,
and modified number of records
Two Database Comparison: Report Selection Screen
New Reports for Two Object Comparison
- Portrait and Landscape reports are available to show object
property differences. The reports are improved to better show
long object names and property values
- Fields Compared for Data Differences: shows the fields
compared when an option other than identical structures is used
- Field Differences of Modified Records: shows paired field
values
Report Enhancements
- In addition to Preview, reports can be opened in Report View
so you can interactively filter and search the data.
- A single report selection screen is used to select the
reports, and print, preview, report view, or export them.
Export Reports
Individual or multiple reports can be exported to a folder you
specify in formats such as Adobe PDF, HTML, Snapshot, Text, RTF, or
XPS.
Additional Enhancements
Many other improvements and performance enhancements were implemented to
make Total Access Detective better than ever! There's also a new 87 page,
professionally printed user manual.
For a quick overview of Total Access Detective 2007,
Take the Tour.
Due to differences with each version of Microsoft Access, Total Access
Detective is specific to each version of Access.
Additional Resources
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