Object and Database Comparison Wizard for Microsoft® Access

For Microsoft® Accesswww.fmsinc.com

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Total Access Detective

License Agreement  i

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Total Access Detective

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Total Access Detective

License Agreement  iii

Acknowledgments
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to make Total Access
Detective a reality. Thanks to the many existing users who provided
valuable feedback and suggestions, and to all of our beta testers for theirdiligence and feedback.
Many people at FMS contributed to the completion of Total Access
Detective, including:Product Design and Development: Luke Chung

Quality Assurance and Technical Support: Molly Pell, John
Litchfield, and Madhuja VasudevanDocumentation: Luke Chung and Molly Pell

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................3
Product Highlights ................................................................................... 4
What Total Access Detective Detects ...................................................... 4
Enhancements in This Version ................................................................ 6
Enhancements from Previous Versions ................................................. 10
Visit Our Web Site ................................................................................. 18

Chapter 2: Installation and Startup ..................................................... 21
System Requirements ........................................................................... 22
Upgrading from Previous Versions ........................................................ 22
Installing Total Access Detective ........................................................... 22
Using the Update Wizard ...................................................................... 23
Uninstalling Total Access Detective ....................................................... 23
Running Total Access Detective ............................................................ 24
Instructions for International Users ...................................................... 25
Startup Errors ........................................................................................ 26

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database ........................... 28
Comparison Wizard ............................................................................... 29
Table and Query Comparison Options .................................................. 31
Data Comparison Options ..................................................................... 32
Form and Report Comparison Options ................................................. 36
Text Comparison Options ...................................................................... 37
Property Comparison Results ................................................................ 40
Data Comparison Results ...................................................................... 42
Combining Data Between Two Tables ................................................... 46
Macro and Module Comparison Results ............................................... 47
Viewing Last Analysis............................................................................. 49
Text Comparison ................................................................................... 51

Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases ................................ 57
Database Comparison Overview ........................................................... 58
Database Preparation ............................................................................ 58
Database Comparison Wizard ............................................................... 60
Generating Database Comparison ........................................................ 61
Viewing Results and Printing Reports ................................................... 69
Viewing Object Differences ................................................................... 71
Viewing Data Differences ...................................................................... 73
Viewing Macro Differences ................................................................... 77
Viewing Module Differences ................................................................. 78
Unmatched Objects ............................................................................... 79
Errors ..................................................................................................... 80
Reports .................................................................................................. 80
Compare Two Blocks of Text ................................................................. 81vi  Table of Contents

Total Access DetectiveChapter 5: Additional Topics............................................................... 83
How the Program Works ........................................................................84
Comparing Two Databases from a Command Line ................................84
Special Date Comparison Issues .............................................................86

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting and Support ............................................ 87
Support Resources .................................................................................88
Web Site Support ...................................................................................88
Technical Support Options .....................................................................89
Contacting Technical Support ................................................................91

Appendix: Sample Reports ................................................................. 93
Items in the Appendix ............................................................................93
Object Comparison Reports ...................................................................94
Database Comparison Reports .............................................................100

Index ............................................................................................... 111

Total Access Detective

Table of Contents  vii

Welcome to Total Access Detective!
Thank you for selecting Total Access Detective, the premier database andobject comparison tool for Microsoft Access.
Total Access Detective is developed by FMS, the world’s leading developerof Microsoft Access products. In addition to Total Access Detective, we offer
a wide range of products for Microsoft Access developers, administrators,
and users:

Total Access Analyzer (database documentation)Total Access Admin (database maintenance control)Total Access Components (ActiveX controls)

Total Access Emailer (email blaster)

Total Access Memo (rich text format memo fields)



Total Access Speller (spell checker)

Total Access Statistics (statistical analysis program)

Total Access Startup (version launcher)Total Visual Agent (database maintenance and scheduling)

Total Visual CodeTools (code builders and managers)Total Visual SourceBook (code library)

Total Zip Code Database (city and state lookup lists)



EzUpData (share your data, reports, and files over the internet)

Visit our web site, www.fmsinc.com, for more information. We also offer
Sentinel Visualizer, an advanced data visualization program that identifies
relationships among people, places and events through link charts,
geospatial mapping, timelines, social network analysis, etc. Visit our
Advanced Systems Group at www.fmsasg.com for details.
Please make sure you sign up for our free email newsletter. This guarantees
that you will be contacted in the event of news, upgrades, and beta
invitations. Once again, thank you for selecting Total Access Detective.

Luke Chung
PresidentChapter 1: Introduction
Total Access Detective simplifies the detection of differences between any two objects in one
database, or objects across two databases. This chapter provides a brief description of Total
Access Detective and an outline of the rest of the manual.

Topics in this Chapter
 Product Highlights
 What Total Access Detective Detects
 Enhancements in This Version
 Enhancements from Previous Versions
 Visit Our Web Site

Total Access Detective

Chapter 1: Introduction  3

Product Highlights
Welcome to Total Access Detective, the comparison wizard for Microsoft
Access. Total Access Detective gives you the ability to compare any two
objects or two databases for differences, simplifying the tracking of changes
between versions. For multi-developer or multi-site environments, Total
Access Detective detects differences between databases to ease theconsolidation of modifications.
Total Access Detective determines all differences between objects,
uncovering differences in properties, controls, fields, indexes, macro lines,
and even module lines. Total Access Detective can even show data
differences (new and modified records) between your tables, and combine
the data into a new table. It also detects line-by-line differences between
any two blocks of text.
Total Access Detective is fully integrated with Microsoft Access and is
implemented as an easy-to-use Wizard. There are two ways to use theWizard: comparing two objects in the current database (from the Access
Add-ins menu), or comparing identically named objects in two databases(from the Windows Start menu). See Running Total Access Detective on
page 24 for details.

What Total Access Detective Detects
Total Access Detective reveals the differences between any two Access
objects. The type of difference depends on the type of objects compared. In
general, only properties of identically named items (e.g. fields, controls,
macro names, procedures) are compared. For instance, properties of fields
are compared based on field name, not field order (which can vary if fields
are added, deleted, or re-ordered). If an item exists in only one object, it islisted, but its properties are not listed as being different.

Tables4  Chapter 1: Introduction



Fields: Compares field properties (such as name, order, data type,description, input mask, validation rule, etc.), and lists fields in one
table and not the other.

Indexes: Compares index names, fields, sort order, primary, unique,ignore blanks, etc., and lists indexes in one table and not the other.

Total Access Detective

Data: Compares data in tables with identical fields. For keyed tables
it reveals new, modified, and deleted records. For un-keyed tables,
it lists the first differing record. New options are available forcomparing tables with different field names, field order, and unkeyed tables.

QueriesCompares query type, fields, parameters, and other properties. When
comparing two queries, there is an option to compare their data.

Forms
Compares form properties, controls/control properties, andsections/section properties, and lists controls and sections in one form but
not the other.

Reports
Compares report properties, controls/control properties, sections/section
properties, and group level properties, and lists objects in one report but
not the other.

Data Access Pages
Compares properties of Data Access Pages, including the underlying HTMLand data source information. Since Data Access Pages were deprecated inAccess 2007, comparisons are not possible in Access 2007 or later.

Macros
Detects differences in macro commands, including arguments. If macronames (also known as sub-macros) exist, only identically named macronames are compared. Macro names in one macro but not the other are
listed.
Total Access Detective does not perform a simple line-by-line comparison—
if it used this approach and an extra line were added or deleted, allsubsequent lines would be flagged as different. Instead, it uses a more
intelligent algorithm to detect whether multiple lines of a macro wereadded or deleted, and only presents the block of differences

Modules
Detects differences in module lines, and lists procedures in one module but
not the other. The declarations sections and identically named procedures
are compared line by line.

Total Access Detective

Chapter 1: Introduction  5Like with macros, Total Access Detective does not perform a simple line-byline comparison. It understands that blocks of code may be added ordeleted, and only lists the block of code that differs rather than all the lines
after the first difference. If lines of code are modified (rather than added ordeleted), the code from both modules is shown for easy comparison.

Import/Export Specifications
Microsoft Access 2007 introduced saved import and export specifications
which are compared in Access 2007 and later.

Database Comparison
These items are analyzed for Database Comparison:
Permissions
Detects differences in security permissions.
Relations
Detects differences in table relationships, including linked fields, referential
integrity settings, and relationship types.
Database Properties
Detects differences in database properties, and lists properties that exist in
one database but not the other.
Library References
Detects different VBA library references.

Text Comparison
Performs line-by-line comparison between any two blocks of text. The text
may be from any source; simply retrieve it from a file or paste it into Total
Access Detective for analysis. This feature is ideal for comparing module
code stored outside your database, such as old versions or text files. You
can analyze the text as plain text or perform module analysis to compare
procedures. The results are similar to module analysis with a report for thedifferences and line-by-line printouts of the original text blocks.

Enhancements in This Version
The latest version of Total Access Detective includes many significant
enhancements:

6  Chapter 1: Introduction

Total Access Detective

New Versions for Microsoft Access 2016 and 2013, andUpgrades for Earlier Access Versions
New versions are available:
Version 16 for Microsoft Access 2016



Version 15 for Microsoft Access 2013



Version 14.5 for Microsoft Access 2010

Version 12.9 for Microsoft Access 2007



Version 11.9 for Microsoft Access 2003

Each version supports the different property values, macro actions and VBA
changes for its Access version.
Support for 32 and 64 bit Versions of Microsoft AccessTotal Access Detective includes two programs in one to support the 32 and64 bit versions of Microsoft Access 2016, 2013 and 2010. Microsoft does notallow both versions of Office to be installed on one machine. The Total
Access Detective setup program detects the appropriate version and installs
it on your machine.

Module and Text Comparison Option to Ignore Line Numbers
Total Access Detective compares module code for differences. Module code
may include line numbers to help with error handling to pinpoint exactly
which line of code is crashing.
When comparing VBA code, you may have code that’s numbered and notnumbered or two modules numbered differently. If you are only interested
in the VBA that changed and not the line numbers, Total Access Detective
offers a new option to compare your code and ignore any differences withline numbers:

Total Access Detective

Chapter 1: Introduction  7New Option to Exclude Line Numbers

Search Bar to Filter Objects and Properties by Name
Similar to the search bar on the Microsoft Access navigation pane, Total
Access Detective includes a Name Filter to simplify selecting objects whencomparing databases:

Name Filter for Selecting Objects

The [Select All] and [Cancel All] buttons work on the filtered list.
Similarly, the Name Filter is also available for Property names in theProperty Selection feature:

8  Chapter 1: Introduction

Total Access Detective

Name Filter on Property List

After comparing two databases, when viewing the Object Differences, thefilter for the object names and properties also has the Name filter.

See and Filter Tables based on Whether it’s Linked
When comparing two databases, a list of identically named objects is
displayed to select them for detailed comparison. Tables are now displayedwith information on whether they are linked or not, and a filter is available
to easily see the differences:

The filter options are:Table Filter Options

Total Access Detective

All: No Filter



Local: Both tables are local (exist in their respective database)

Linked: Both tables are linked to other databases



Mixed: One is local and the other is linked

Chapter 1: Introduction  9

Procedures with Differences List
When comparing two modules, a new tab is shown for the procedures withdifferences. The detail of the differences remains in the main tab, but now
there’s a summary list of procedures that are different:

New Procedures with Differences Tab when Comparing Text

New Procedures with Differences Tab when Comparing Two Modules

New Procedures with Differences Tab when Comparing Modules in Two Databases

In addition to viewing the data in the tab, corresponding export and reports
are available.

Enhancements from Previous Versions
Prior versions have included the following enhancements:

Version 14 for Microsoft Access 2010
The new properties, macro actions, and VBA code syntax introduced inAccess 2010 are supported for difference detection.

10  Chapter 1: Introduction

Total Access Detective

Microsoft Access 2010 Support for 32 and 64 bit Versions
Total Access Detective 2010 includes two programs in one to support the 32
and 64 bit versions of Microsoft Office 2010.
Embedded Macro Line-by-Line Comparison
Embedded macros on forms and reports are now compared on a line-by-line
basis similar to how regular macros are compared. Previously, the entire
embedded macro property was compared without the “smart” comparison
that identifies new or deleted lines within the macro code. To support this,the results now have a new Embedded Macros tab when differences exist.
For two database comparisons, this is in the Object Differences screen.
Three new reports are added to show the differences between the macros,
as well as the embedded macro code from each object or database.
Identical Procedures Listed for Module Comparisons
In addition to listing the modules lines that are different, a new list ofidentical procedures is generated. This lets you easily confirm which
procedures did not change. The identical procedures are shown on a new
Identical Procedures tab after the Module Differences tab. This applies tocomparing two objects, two databases, and two blocks of text. A report isprovided for printing the list, which can also be exported.

Identical Procedures between Two Modules

Data Comparison Option to Ignore CaseA new option is available to ignore case between fields. This is set under the
Data Comparison Options, Field Comparison tab. Check the Ignore Case
option if you want case insensitive comparisons of your data.
Ignore Blank Lines and Comments when Comparing Modules
Additional options are available to compare modules by ignoring blank lines
and comments. This is in addition to ignoring differences due to case orindentations. These options are now available under Text Options:

Total Access Detective

Chapter 1: Introduction  11

New Text Comparison Options

When Ignore Comments is selected, any comment lines or comments at theend of a line are ignored and just the VBA code is compared.
Ignore Blank Lines and Comments when Comparing Two Blocks of Text
Similar to module comparison, you can also ignore blank lines andcomments when comparing two blocks of text.
Exclude Properties from Comparison
You now have the ability to exclude properties from the comparisons. For
instance, if you don’t care about the LastUpdated property of objects, you
can exclude it from comparison. This is particularly useful when a property
you don’t care about is the only difference between objects.
Specify Storage Database Name for Database Comparisons
When comparing two databases, you can now specify the name of thedatabase containing the results. This lets you keep an unlimited number of
database comparison results. You can specify the database name on the last
page of the wizard. If the name already exists, information on what it
contains is displayed.
Specify Storage Folder
By default, Total Access Detective saves its files in a user folder. You can
now change this location to another folder when you specify the storage
folder for the results.

12  Chapter 1: Introduction

Total Access DetectiveSpecify Where to Store the Database Comparison Results

Viewing Different Database Comparisons
From the main screen when viewing the results of database comparisons, a
new button to open the documentation is available. Easily retrieve a
previously saved result. This lets you keep and manage multiple copies ofthe database comparison results.
Command Line Can Specify Storage Database Name
When invoking Total Access Detective from a command line to compare two
databases, you can now add an additional parameter specifying the storage
database name. This lets you automate the generation of multiple database
comparisons.
Improved Ease of Use

Two Database Comparison Retains Previous Results
Previously, if you were running the two database comparison and selected
two databases, the existing results were no longer available. This is now
separated so the results are available until you overwrite them.

Two Database Comparison Does Not Select System Tables
If your database object list has System Objects turned on, the systemobjects are listed for selection. Previously, all objects were automaticallyselected for comparison. Now, the system tables are not selected.

Two Database Comparison Exports Data to another Database
When performing text comparisons in the two database comparison
feature, you can now export the results to another database.

Reports List is Full Screen with More Information
The display of available reports is full screen with a description of eachreport to make it easier to understand and select.
Total Access Detective

Chapter 1: Introduction  13

Manage User Access Control Rights
Total Access Detective respects your login rights. By default, it is installed inyour user folder, it updates registry settings in your user section andanticipates the issues around user access control and trusted folders.

Version 12 for Access 2007 and ACCDB Databases
Total Access Detective 2007, version 12, runs in Microsoft Access 2007 andcompares all database formats supported by Access 2007 including MDBs,
ADPs, and the new ACCDB database format.
New Microsoft Access 2007 Properties
Access 2007 introduced many new features which are now compared.
Improved Two ADP Comparison
To compare properties of ADP objects that do not exist in MDB/ACCDB
objects, a different startup database is used. Instead of running the
TADETECT.ACCDB database, run the TADETECT.ADP file.
Two Table Comparison in ADPs
Tables in ADPs can be compared structurally including extended properties
and indexes. Data can also be compared with combined results created in a
new table.
New Table Data Comparison Options
Previously, data was only compared if the two tables had identical fielddefinitions. 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

Ignore small differences between numbers (you set the level)

For more information on the Data Comparison Options, see page 32.
Data Comparison Results
When viewing the results of Data Comparison, the caption for the row
column is # rather than ID, to avoid confusion if ID is a field in the tables
being compared.
Table Comparison with Field by Field Results
Previously, during data comparison, modified records were only displayed
as individual records listing the modified fields in one record. This is now
supplemented with an additional table listing each field difference as aseparate record showing the two values.

14  Chapter 1: Introduction

Total Access Detective

Query Data Comparison
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.
Case Insensitive Module Comparison
For module comparisons, a new Ignore Case option is available to avoid
flagging differences due to mismatched capital and lower case letters. This
option is also available for the Text Comparison feature.
Support for Password Protected Databases
Objects in password protected databases are compared.
Report EnhancementsIn addition to Preview, in Access 2007, reports can be opened inReport View so you can interactively filter and search the data.



Reports can be exported to Adobe PDF and XPS formats

Multiple reports can be exported to files in a folder and format you
specify (e.g. PDF, XPS, HTML, snapshot, etc.)

A single report selection screen is used to select the reports forprint, preview, report view, and export.

New Reports for Two Database Comparison
Many new reports were added:


Data Differences Fields Compared: shows the fields compared whenan option other than identical structures is used

Table Data Comparison Paired Fields: shows paired field valuesPortrait and Landscape reports for object comparison with bettersupport 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 namewhen you export it

Several reports were enhanced including:

Data Differences Summary now shows the total number of records,
in addition to the new and modified number of records

New Reports for Two Object Comparison
Total Access Detective

Portrait and Landscape reports are available to show object
property differences. The reports are improved to better show longobject names and property values

Chapter 1: Introduction  15

Fields Compared for Data Differences: shows the fields comparedwhen an option other than identical structures is used

Field Differences of Modified Records: shows paired field values

General Comparison 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
Separate Table Object and Data Comparison
When comparing two tables, you can compare either the table design ordata, or both. Previously, the design was always compared.
Last Documentation is Available
The last comparison of two objects can be viewed under a new Last Analysis
button. 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 andthe incomplete results displayed. This can be particularly helpful whencomparing records and you decide to stop after it identifies a few
differences and you don’t need all the differences.

Two Database Comparison Enhancements
Reduced Need to Prepare Databases for Two Database Comparison
Previously, the Total Access Detective Prepare step was necessary before
comparing modules between two databases. This is no longer needed whencomparing MDB/ACCDB databases. Prepare is still required for ADPs.
Finish Button Eliminates Manual Selections
The Database Comparison wizard has a Finish button on all its pages. Simply
select the two databases and press Finish to compare all the identicallynames objects. It skips the Wizard pages for the options, and uses thepreviously specified values.
Command Line Support
To eliminate manually selecting the database and options, a Windows
shortcut can pass the names of the two databases to compare, which
automatically selects all the common objects and compares them.
Text Comparison Feature Added
The text comparison feature which was previously only available under thetwo object comparison feature, is now available on the two database
comparison side as well.
16  Chapter 1: Introduction

Total Access DetectiveImproved User InterfaceWith Access 2007, the user interface is enhanced to support newfeatures such as maximized tabbed views, transparent buttons withgraphics, filtered datasheet views, navigation bar captions, colors,
fonts, etc.



Two object comparison now shows the object and other differences(data or modules) as separate tabs

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



The Help file is in the new CHM format rather than HLP format.

Version 9.7, 10.7, and 11.7 Updates
In conjunction with the release of Version 12.0 for Access 2007, updates
were released to offer similar features for Access 2000 (version 9.7), 2002(version 10.7), and 2003 (version 11.7).

Version 11 for Access 2003
Version 11 for Access 2003 includes many new features including:

Ability to combine data differences from two tables into a newtable.

Comparison of Access Data Projects

Export of database comparison results to another database

Relationship comparison

Several additional reports, including:oDatabase Comparison SummaryoObjects with DifferencesoData Differences SummaryoIdentical Objects in Both Databases

Version 9.5 and 10.5 Updates
In conjunction with the enhancements added to version 11 for Access 2003,
updates were released to offer similar features for Access 2002 (version
10.5) and Access 2000 (version 9.5).

Version 10 for Access 2002
Version 10 supported Access 2002. It added simplified selection of modified
objects, data differences options for memo fields, and more accuratecomparison of numeric fields.
Total Access Detective

Chapter 1: Introduction  17

Version 9 for Access 2000
Version 9 was created for Access 2000. It added the Text Comparison
feature and support for Data Access Pages.

Version 8 for Access 97
Version 8 was created for Access 97.

Version 2 for Access 2.0
The first version was created for Access 2.0.

Visit Our Web Site
FMS is constantly developing new and better developer solutions. Total
Access Detective is part of our complete line of products designed
specifically for the Access developer. Please take a moment to visit us onlineat www.fmsinc.com to find out about new products and updates.

Product Updates
FMS is committed to quality software. When we find problems in our
products, we fix them and post the new builds on our web site. Check our
Product Updates page in the Technical Support area for the latest build, orsee Using the Update Wizard on page 23 for information on how to checkfor the availability of updates.

Product Announcements and Press Releases
Read the latest information on new products, new versions, and future
products. Press releases are available the same day they are sent to thepress. Sign up in our Feedback section to have press releases automaticallysent to you via email.

Product Descriptions and Demos
Detailed descriptions for all of our products are available. Each product has
its own page with information about features and capabilities. Demoversions for most of our products are also available.

Technical Papers, Tips, and Tricks
FMS personnel often speak at conferences and write magazine articles,
papers, and books. Copies and portions of this information are available toyou online. Learn about our latest ideas and tricks for developing more
effectively.
18  Chapter 1: Introduction

Total Access Detective

Social Media: Blog, Facebook, Twitter
Keep in touch with us:

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Links to Other Development Sites
Jump to other locations, including forums, user groups, and other sites withnews, techniques, and related services from our web site.

Total Access Detective

Chapter 1: Introduction  19

Chapter 2: Installation and Startup
Total Access Detective comes with an automated setup program to get you up and running
as quickly as possible. This chapter describes the system requirements, installation steps,
instructions for upgrading from previous versions, and instructions for uninstalling. It also
provides instructions for international users, and tips for troubleshooting startup errors.

Topics in this Chapter
 System Requirements
 Upgrading from Previous Versions
 Installing Total Access Detective
 Using the Update Wizard
 Uninstalling Total Access Detective
 Running Total Access Detective
 Instructions for International Users
 Startup Errors

Total Access Detective

Chapter 2: Installation and Startup  21

System Requirements
Total Access Detective is a Microsoft Access library database that runs
within Access. Its system requirements are similar to the requirements ofMicrosoft Access, and include:A copy of the Microsoft Access version corresponding to the Total
Access Detective version.

Hardware and operating system supported by Microsoft Access.



20 MB free disk space to install the product, and additional disk
space to store your documentation.

Total Access Detective can only be opened through its associated versionof Access, and will work with database formats supported by the specificversion of Access.

Upgrading from Previous Versions
Just as multiple versions of Access can reside on the same machine, multiple
versions of Total Access Detective can exist on the same machine provided
that they are installed in separate directories.
Each version of Total Access Detective is a completely separate program anddoes not share any files with other versions. If you are no longer using any
previous versions of Microsoft Access, you can remove the older version of
Total Access Detective from your machine. See Uninstalling Total Access
Detective on page 23 for details.

Installing Total Access Detective
Total Access Detective is installed using an automated setup program. To
install Total Access Detective, follow these steps:
1. Locate and run the setup program.
2. When prompted, enter your registration information and productkey (serial number).
3. Specify the destination folder for the files.
4. Be sure to read the readme file for any late breaking news that is
not included in the manual or help file.

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Total Access Detective

Where to Install Total Access Detective
For best performance, install Total Access Detective on a local hard drive.
Installing to a network drive may cause slower performance.
Total Access Detective is an Access add-in which needs to modify itself tolink to different tables, databases, etc. Be sure to install it to a folder where
you have full read/write permissions.
Do NOT install it in the C:\Program Files folder which Windows User AccessControl (UAC) normally sets to READONLY after installation.

Using the Update Wizard
Total Access Detective includes a built-in mechanism to check theavailability of updates via the Internet. If you have an active Internet
connection, you can use the Total Access Detective Update Wizard toensure that you have the latest version.
To run this program, select Programs, FMS, Total Access Detective, Update
Wizard from the Windows Start menu. Follow the prompts on the form tocheck for the latest update.

Uninstalling Total Access Detective
Total Access Detective follows standard Windows installation protocol, so
uninstalling is straightforward. From the Windows Start Menu, selectControl Panel, then:Windows 7 or later
1. Open Programs and Features
2. Select Total Access Detective from the list of installed programs
3. Click on Uninstall

Windows Vista
1. Select Uninstall a Program (in Programs section)
2. Select FMS Total Access Detective from the list of installed programs
3. Click on Uninstall/Change

Windows XP
1. Select Add/Remove Programs
2. Select FMS Total Access Detective from the list

Total Access Detective

Chapter 2: Installation and Startup  23

3. Press the Change/Remove button
4. Follow the prompts to uninstall.
If you prepared databases with Total Access Detective (as explained on page58), a *.DDB, *.DDE, or *.DDA file is created for each database. This file isstored in the same folder as your database. Use the Windows Searchfeature to locate these files, and remove them if desired.

Running Total Access Detective
Total Access Detective runs from within Microsoft Access. If you are familiar
with Microsoft Access, you will be very comfortable using Total Access
Detective.
Total Access Detective performs comparison in two modes:Comparison of two objects within one database(described in Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database)Comparison of objects between two databases(described in Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases)

How Total Access Detective is invoked depends on the comparison mode:For comparing objects in one database, open your database andselect Total Access Detective from the Database Tools ribbon Addins menu (in Access 2007 or later), or from the Tools, Add-ins menu
(in Access 2003 or earlier).



To compare two databases, launch Total Access Detective Database
Compare from the Windows Start menu.



To compare two Access Data Projects (ADPs), select Total Access
Detective ADP Compare from the Windows Start menu. ADPs weredeprecated by Access 2013, so this is not available in the 2013 andlater versions.

Comparing Databases on a Network
Total Access Detective allows you to compare databases residing on a
network drive, but we recommend documenting local copies of these
databases for two reasons:
1. When you compare a database, you don’t want other users opening
or changing objects. Total Access Detective cannot compare objects
that are opened or locked by others.
2. Performance over a network is substantially slower than a local
drive. Total Access Detective is a disk-intensive program—it may
need to open objects in design view and read properties and/or
24  Chapter 2: Installation and Startup

Total Access Detective

compare data records. Because of this, running across a network
connection may cause slower performance and may affect otherusers on the network.

Comparing Access Data Projects
Total Access Detective can compare native Access objects in Access Data
Projects (ADPs and ADEs), including: forms, reports, pages, macros,
modules, and command bars. It cannot, however, compare objects thatexist in SQL Server, such as tables, views, and diagrams. When comparing
ADPs, you must run the Total Access Detective Prepare process on each
ADP. ADPs were deprecated by Access 2013, so this is not available in the2013 and later versions.

Comparing Password-Protected Databases
When comparing two objects in the same database, Total Access Detective
can compare all object types, regardless of whether the database isprotected by a password.
When comparing two databases, simply provide the password for each andall their objects can be compared.

Comparing Databases with Workgroup Security
Total Access Detective can run database comparison on databases with
Workgroup security provided that:
1. Both databases use the same workgroup security file (*.MDW).
2. The user group has open/run permissions for the database (notnecessary for specific objects, just needed at the database level).
3. The databases are not set to "Read Only".
Follow these steps to compare two secured databases:
1. Start Access with your Workgroup Security settings.
2. Open TADetect.accdb (or TADetect.mdb version 2003 or earlier),
which is located in Total Access Detective’s installation folder.

Instructions for International Users
Total Access Detective automatically detects international versions ofAccess and adjusts its behavior accordingly. The program’s documentation,
forms, and help file are in English, but the property values it detects are
displayed in your Access version’s local language.

Total Access Detective

Chapter 2: Installation and Startup  25

Printing Reports on A4 Paper
By default, the reports in Total Access Detective are set for US Letter size;
however, you can use A4 paper instead. This option is accessible from any
report dialog box:

Reports Dialog Box with A4 Paper Option

Startup Errors
Most errors with Total Access Detective occur when you first start it. Thissection explains the most common startup errors and offers suggestions on
how to fix them.

Microsoft Access cannot find Wizard, or there is a syntax error
in the Declarations section of a Visual Basic module
Microsoft Access uses the registry to store information about add-ins. The
setup program places several entries in the Windows Registry to identify thelocation and name of the Total Access Detective library database, and thename of the main Total Access Detective function. If these registry entries
are incorrect, or if the Total Access Detective installation is corrupt, thiserror message appears.
Re-install Total Access Detective to resolve this problem.

The current database is not updateable
You have opened the current database in read-only mode, or anothercondition has forced the database to be read-only. Total Access Detective
cannot analyze a database opened in read-only mode. Close the database,open it in normal mode, and restart Total Access Detective.

26  Chapter 2: Installation and Startup

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Please close any forms or reports that are open and re-start
Total Access Detective
You must close all forms, reports, and modules in your database before
running Total Access Detective. Open forms, reports, and modules interferewith the operation of Total Access Detective. Close all windows except the
database window and restart Total Access Detective.

This copy of Total Access Detective is in use
Total Access Detective can be installed on a network drive but can only beaccessed by one user at a time. If more than one user attempts to start
Total Access Detective at the same time, the second user sees a dialog box
saying the copy of Total Access Detective is already in use.
This message also appears if you attempt to run Total Access Detective in
two instances of Access on the same workstation. Click [OK] to return toMicrosoft Access and try again later.
Total Access Detective exclusively locks the database to ensure that only
one user is accessing it at one time. If Microsoft Access exits abnormallywhile Total Access Detective is running, an LDB lock file may be left in place,and may erroneously report that Total Access Detective is in use. If thishappens, you should manually delete the lock file by following these steps:
1. Ensure that no other users are running Total Access Detective. This
step is very important. If you manually delete the lock file while auser is running Total Access Detective, you may cause that user’s
system to crash.
2. Close all instances of Microsoft Access on your workstation.
3. From Windows Explorer, locate the folder where Total Access
Detective is installed. Locate and delete the lock file (TAD_C.LDB).
4. Restart Microsoft Access, and run Total Access Detective again.

Total Access Detective

Chapter 2: Installation and Startup  27

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One
Database
Total Access Detective’s Object Comparison feature finds all differences between any two
objects in one database. This chapter explains how to use the Object Comparison feature toquickly see the differences in properties, fields, controls, macro lines, module lines, importexport specifications, command bars, and data.

Topics in this Chapter
 Comparison Wizard
 Table and Query Comparison Options
 Data Comparison Options
 Form and Report Comparison Options
 Text Comparison Options
 Property Comparison Results Data Comparison Results
 Combining Data Between Two Tables
 Macro and Module Comparison Results Text Comparison

28  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access DetectiveComparison Wizard
Starting the Comparison Wizard
Open the database containing the objects to compare, and launch Total
Access Detective from the Add-ins menu. In Access 2007 or later, open Total
Access Detective from the Database Tools ribbon, Add-ins menu.

Microsoft Access 2016 Add-ins Menu for Launching Total Access Detective

In Access 2003 and earlier, open it from the Tools, Add-Ins menu.

Microsoft Access 2007Menu

Microsoft Access 2003 (and Earlier) Menu

The Total Access Detective Prepare menu item is for Database Comparisonsand is described on page 58.
When you select Total Access Detective from the Add-ins menu, theComparison Wizard appears:

Total Access Detective

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  29

Comparison Wizard Main Form

Selecting Objects for Comparison
Select the object type from the drop
down list box.
Then, specify the names of the two
objects to compare, set comparison
options, and click [Run].
Permissions
In order to compare objects, Total Access Detective needs to open them indesign mode. For Total Access Detective to do this, you must have Read
Design permission on the objects you are comparing.

Property Selection
By default, all Access properties that could
indicate differences are compared. The Property Selection button lets you
reduce this by unselecting properties you may not care about. For instance,
you may not care about the DateCreated property for the objects. By
removing this, you eliminate flagging objects that are different solely basedon this property.

30  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access DetectiveProperty Selection Screen

The properties are organized by Object Type. Unselect the properties you
don’t want to compare. Press the Select All button to reset the selections.

Table and Query Comparison Options
When comparing tables and queries, you cancompare the objects (fields, indexes, andproperties), table data, or both:

Data comparison can take a significant amount of time for tables withmany fields and records. For best results, compare databases on yourdesktop rather than across a network.

Data Comparison
Data Comparison identifies records that are new, deleted, or modified.
When viewing the results, you can also combine the data from the two data
sources into a new table.

Total Access Detective

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  31

In addition to comparing data withidentical fields, tables with similar
structures, different field names, anddifferent field order can be compared.
Options also customize the way results
are displayed. An overview of theselected options shows on the main
screen:Click theData Options Overview

button to open the Data Comparison

Options form.

Data Comparison Options
When comparing data between tables or queries, several options areavailable to let you control how the comparisons are made and the results.

Record Identifier
The Record Identifier tab displays options for comparing queries and tables
that do not have a primary key:

Data Comparison Options, Record Identifier

For tables with a primary key, the key fields are used to match up rows forcomparison, and the options on this tab do not apply.
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For tables without a primary key or queries, you can compare the rows
sequentially, or specify that the first field in is the “identifier” (uniquely
identifies the row). For example, if you’re comparing these two queries:
ID
1
2
3

First
Nancy
Andrew
Janet

Last
Davolio
FullerLeverling

ID
1
3
2

First
Nancy
Janet
Andy

Last
Davolio
Leverling
FullerComparing the fields sequentially reports that the second record iscompletely different—none of the fields match. Total Access Detective does
not continue comparing data after the first difference is found.
Designating the first field as unique, on the other hand, reports thedifference in ID 2: “Andrew” does not match “Andy.” Since a unique
identifier is found, Total Access Detective continues comparing the rest of
the data in the table.

Field Comparison
The Field Comparison tab includes options for how the fields are compared:

Data Comparison Options, Field Comparison

Total Access DetectiveAll Field Names and Types Match: Tables or queries have the same
field names and structure (column count and data types).

Field Order: Table structures match, but field names differ between
the two tables or queries.

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  33

Identical Field Names Only: Field names and data types match, but
column count and/or order is different. Choosing this option
compares identically named fields, and skips fields that are not inboth tables.

Note that only fields with the same data types can be compared, i.e. a Text
field cannot be compared to a Number field.

Documentation
The Documentation tab specifies what to display when differences aredetected between records. Decide whether to show all differences for arecord, or to limit the differences that are shown:

Data Comparison Options, Documentation

Limit the Amount of Differences to Document
By default, all the differences between two records are shown listing thevalues of every field that differs. This can be quite extensive, especially if
you have large text or memo fields.
You can limit what’s documented with the “First 255 Characters” option.
This truncates the record difference to the first 255 characters. This isuseful, if you simply want to know a record was modified regardless ofevery field modification.
Limit Memo Fields Differences
For large memo fields, the results can be very large when different memo
field values are documented. Choose whether to show all differences up to
34  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access Detective

3K, show only the first 255 characters, or to only show that a difference
exists (for example, 1: Memo 2: Memo).

Display
The Display tab controls how data differences are displayed:

Data Comparison Options, Display

Compressed Display
Select Compressed to save space and show each field’s difference on one
line. This compact format shows the field values side-by-side.
In this example, differences are found for two fields named FirstName and
ZipCode, and the values for the two tables (1 and 2):[FirstName] 1:John 2:Jon[ZipCode] 1:22182 2:22102

Expanded Display
However, this can be difficult to see the actual difference, especially withlarge text or numbers. With the Expanded option, each field value is on a
separate line. With the pair of field values stacked, it’s easier to see
differences:[FirstName]
1:John2:Jon[ZipCode]
1:22182
2:22102
Total Access Detective

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  35

Numerical Accuracy
The Numerical Accuracy tab includes options for comparing numbers:

Data Comparison Options, Numerical Accuracy

By default, any difference between numbers is considered a difference
that’s documented. However, due to rounding and floating point issues,
numbers with decimals may be very close but not identical. Flagging thesedifferences may not be helpful, or you may not care about such tiny
differences.
This option allows you to set an acceptable difference, based on the ratio ofthe difference to the field values. Select an acceptable difference between
0% (fields must match exactly) and 10% (numbers can be up to 10%
different, and still considered identical).
The % difference is calculated by dividing the difference in the two values by
their average.

Form and Report Comparison Options
When comparing forms and reports, choose tocompare the objects (controls, sections, andproperties), the modules behind the objects, orboth.
36  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access Detective

If you compare Modules, there are additional comparison options to selectthe number of identical lines needed to resynchronize, and whether
differences in blank lines, capitalization, comments or indentations should
be considered changes. Details about these options are provided in the
Module Comparison section.

Comparing Embedded Macros
Embedded Macros were introduced with Microsoft Access 2007. They canbe added as events at the form or report level or for individual controls.
Total Access Detective has a macro parser that compares the differences
between embedded macros to identify differences at the command bycommand level. Rather than simply reporting that two embedded macros
are different, Total Access Detective can identify changes in arguments andcomments, adding or deleting commands, etc.
Embedded macro comparisons also respect your selection of Module
Comparison options such as ignoring comments.

Text Comparison Options
The Text Comparison button

lets you specify several

options for customizing how modules and macros are compared:

Total Access Detective

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  37

Module Comparison Options# of Lines to Resync
Total Access Detective compares module procedures on a line-by-line basis,and determines whether differences are due to modified or new lines. If it
detects new lines, Total Access Detective shows the new lines from one
module plus the line where the code is resynchronized between the twomodules. The lines that follow in both modules are not considered different
even though they are on different lines.
Total Access Detective defines this resynchronization based on a repetitionof identical lines in both modules. By default, this value is 3 lines. That is,when three identical lines are encountered in both modules, the prior lines’
differences are documented and the code is resynchronized.
You can increase or decrease this setting if the resynchronization isincorrect. If the value is too low, small amounts of code within an addedgroup cause resynchronization. If the value is too high, groups do not get
resynchronized. We recommend using the default value; we have found 3lines to work well.
Module Code to Ignore
There are four options for ignoring module code that may be slightly
different:Blank Lines



Case



CommentsIndentations

38  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access DetectiveLine Numbers

Ignore Blank Lines
This option lets you ignore differences due to blank lines. If a procedure has
more or less blank lines than another, they are not considered different.
Ignore Case
This lets you ignore differences due to capital and lower case letters. This isespecially useful if you have code where the case of procedure or variable
definitions is modified. Without this option, references to all those
procedures or variables are flagged as differences.
However, with this option selected, case differences that you may want tofind (e.g. messages displayed to the user) would be ignored.
Ignore Comments
This is a powerful option that lets you ignore differences in comments. The
VBA code parser identifies comments on their own lines, multiple lines, orthe end of lines and ignores any differences between procedures due tocomments. The only differences will be changes to the actual VBA code.
Ignore Indentations
This avoids flagging lines where the text is identical but the indentation isnot. Checking this option ignores differences due to spaces or tabs at the
beginning of a line of code.
This option is particularly important if new control blocks are added. For
instance, you may have added an IF…END IF statement around existing codeand indented the block. With this option on, only the IF and END IF lines are
considered different. With the option off, every line in the block is flagged
as different because of the indentation.
Regardless of this setting, all blank lines at the beginning or end of a module
or procedure are ignored.
Ignore Line Numbers
This option lets you ignore the line numbers in the VBA code. Developers
often add line numbers so error handling can pinpoint the line where acrash occurs. Our Total Visual CodeTools product lets you do that easily.
However, when comparing modules, one may have line numbers and theother not, or the line numbers may be different even though the VBA codethat’s numbered hasn’t changed. With this option, the line numbers can beignored in the comparison so that only the difference with the actual VBA
code is shown.

Total Access Detective

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  39

Property Comparison Results
When you click [Run], Total Access Detective compares the two objects andfinds their differences. If property comparison was conducted on theobjects, their differences are shown on the Object tab. The list of properties
that are compared can be reduced from the [Property Selection] button.
See Property Selection on page 30 for more details.
Each difference is displayed as a separate record. The list shows the itemand property name, along with the property values for Object 1 and Object
2. Each object contains many items (fields, controls, etc.), each with many
properties. If an item exists in one object and not the other, it is listed as“.Not Defined” in the object’s column where it does not exist. For identically
named items, each property is compared and those with different values
are shown.

Property Comparison Results

These options are available on the Results form for Object differences:
ButtonDescription

ReportSelect reports to print, preview, report view, and export.

ExportExport results into a table in your database. See page 41.

Close

Return to the first screen (select objects).

Exit

Close Total Access Detective.

40  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access DetectiveReport
The [Report] button opens a dialog with a list of available reports for yourcurrent view:

Select Reports Dialog

These options are available:
ButtonDescription

Preview

Preview the current report your cursor is on (it does notneed to be selected).

View

Open the current report in Report View. Report View is
not available in Access 2003 or earlier.

Print

Send the selected (checked) reports to the printer.

ExportExport the selected (checked) reports to a variety offormats in a folder you specify.

For the current report (the current report record), you can Preview it or put
it into Report View.
For printing or exporting, select the reports you want by checking them, andpress [Print] to send them to your default printer, or [Export] to send them
to a destination and format you specify.
Report Export
You can select one or more reports to export to files by clicking the [Export]
button:Total Access Detective

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  41

Export Reports to File

Specify the type of output and destination folder. The export formats
include Adobe PDF, HTML, Snapshot, Text, rich text, and XPS. PDF and XPS
formats are not available in Microsoft Access 2003 or earlier. Snapshot is
not available in Access 2010 or later.
Click [OK] to generate the files. Each report has a default file name. If any of
the files already exists, you are prompted to confirm overwriting them.

Exporting Data
Unlike the Export button when selecting reports, the [Export] button while
viewing the results lets you to save the results to a table in your database:

Export Results to a Table in Your Database

Data Comparison Results
If you choose to compare data between your tables or queries, comparison
results are show on the Data and Modified Fields tabs:

Table Results View Options

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Total Access Detective

Data Tab
The Data tab shows all the data differences:

Data Differences

The following types of records are flagged:Records in table/query 1 but not table/query 2 (based on key fields)



Records in table/query 2 but not table/query 1 (based on key fields)Modified records (identical key field values) with the fields withdifferent values listedFor unkeyed tables/queries, the first record that differs (further
analysis cannot be performed)

The results include the following information:
FieldsDescription

Key Field(s)The key field or fields that identify the record

Diff TypeThe difference type (see below)

Differences

Description that the record is in one but not the other, orfor modified records, values for each field difference

Num Diffs

The number of fields with different values

Diff Fields

The names of the fields that differ

The [Diff Type] field identifies how the record differs:

Total Access Detective

Diff Type

Description

1

The record exists in table/query 1 but not table/query 2.

2

The record exists in table/query 2 but not table/query 1.
Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  43

M

The record exists in both tables/queries and is modified.

N

Differences exist (for comparisons without a primary key).

Use the “Filter” drop down at the top of the form tolimit the list by difference type:For modified records, each field difference is shownwith the field name in brackets ([ ]) and the values
for table/query 1 and 2 listed after the number (“1:” or “2:”). If multiple
fields are different, each difference is on a separate line.
To see more than the first two lines, expand the record’s height or move tothe field and press [Shift]+[F2] to zoom:

Zoom to See Contents of the Field

How the data differences are generated and displayed depend on the datacomparison options you selected. For instance, if you selected the option toshow only the first 255 characters, the text in the Differences column istruncated after 255 characters.

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Modified Fields Tab
The Modified Fields tab shows the field by field difference for the records
that were modified. It does not show new or deleted records (records in one
table but not the other):

Table Data Differences, Modified Records

Result Options
The following options are available at the bottom of the form:

Total Access Detective

ButtonDescription

ReportReports to print, preview, view and export.

ExportExport results into a table in your database. See page 41
for details.

CombineCombine the data from the tables that you compared into
a new table. See page 46 for details.

Close

Return to the first screen (select objects).

Exit

Close Total Access Detective.

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  45

Combining Data Between Two Tables
One of the most useful features of Total Access Detective is combining data
between two data sources into a new table. Click the [Combine] button
when viewing the data differences to display the Combine Data form:

Combine Table Data Form

Since it is not possible to determine modified records, data from tables
and queries without a unique identifier cannot be combined.
These options are available:
Table Name
Specify the name of the table to create in the current database.
Create New Table From
Select the table to use for the combined table. If both tables’ properties are
identical, it doesn’t matter which one you choose, but if they are different,
you may prefer one over the other.
The rest of the options determine which records are included in the
combined table:
Include All Identical Records
Select this option to include the identical records between the twocompared tables.
Include Records from Table 1 Not in Table 2
Select this option to include records that are in Table 1, but not in Table 2.
46  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access Detective

Include Records from Table 2 Not in Table 1
Select this option to include records that are in Table 2, but not in Table 1.
Include Modified Records From
Select this option to include records that exist in both tables, but aremodified. Then, specify which table’s modified records you want in the
combined table.

Use Caution If Data Changed Since Comparison
Total Access Detective does not store a copy of the data it compared, justthe differences. When it combines the data from the two tables, it’s using
the current data in those sources to populate the new table and apply themodifications it found. If your data changed since the comparison, theresults may not be what you expect. To avoid problems, run the datacomparison again if your data was modified.

Macro and Module Comparison Results
Unlike other comparisons that list different property values, macro andmodule comparisons (including code behind forms and reports) show
different lines of macro definitions or module code.

Module Procedures are Compared by Name
A module is composed of procedures and properties (the General
Declarations section is treated as the first procedure). Total Access
Detective understands VBA syntax and compares each procedure orproperty to its corresponding name in the other module. This means that
their sort order does not matter, which makes Total Access Detective much
more powerful than a simple text comparison program.

Macros are Compared by Sub-Macro Name
Most macros only contain one set of lines that run from start to finish.
However, they may contain multiple sub-macros if macro names are
assigned. Total Access Detective compares macros similar to the way it
compares modules. Again, sort order doesn’t matter—identically named
macro names (sub-macros) are compared to each other, and those thatexist in one, but not the other are flagged.

Object Match then Line-by-Line ComparisonsTotal Access Detective flags procedures (or sub-macros) that exist in one
module (macro) and not the other.
Total Access Detective

Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  47

For identically named procedures and macros, Total Access Detective
conducts a line-by-line comparison. When lines differ, the different lines inboth objects are shown. If a resync occurs before the end of the procedure,
the last line of each block is shown so you can see they are identical. This
technique clearly reveals new, modified, and deleted lines of code.
For procedures with completely different code (an inability to resync), it
tells you they are completely different rather than listing every line.

Module Comparison Results

For every difference, the procedure name is listed followed by each versionof it in each module. Differences in the sort order of the procedures are notdocumented, since the order is not important.
The Identical Procedures tab lists all the procedures that had no differences.
The module and macro comparison results depend on the options thatyou selected. See page 37 for details.

Macro and Module Comparison Reports
Three sets of reports are available for module differences. Click [Report] toaccess these reports.
Macro and Module Differences Report
List of differences at the object level (procedure or sub-macro) and line-byline level for identically named objects.

48  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access Detective

Source Code Reports
A listing of the source code for the entire macro or module. This includes
line numbers (which restart for each submacro or procedure), and makes it
easy to identify lines referenced in the Differences report.
Identical Procedures Report
The list of procedures with no differences is available. This list is not
generated if the two modules are identical.

Embedded Macro Differences
For embedded macros on forms and reports, the differences are shown in
the Embedded Macros tab:Differences between Embedded Macros

They are listed by Item (control name or blank for the form/report level),
event name, and the differences. The original complete embedded macro
values in the two objects are displayed under Version1 and Version2.
Reports are also available for Embedded Macro differences.

Viewing Last Analysis
The Last Analysis button retrieves your most recent results after you close
or exit the comparison wizard.

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Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  49

Last Analysis Button

This button is only enabled if your current database is the same as the
database where the last analysis was run. Additionally, if your objects weremodified since the last analysis, the results will not be current.

50  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access DetectiveText Comparison
Total Access Detective offers a module (text) comparison feature that does
not require your code to be in an existing module. Simply type, paste, or
retrieve the text from a file. Just press the Compare Text button at thebottom of the main form.

Text Comparison Button

The text can be compared as regular blocks of text, or as VBA code, which
performs procedure/property comparisons (similar to module comparison,described on page 37).

Entering Text Blocks for Comparison
Click [Compare Text] on the main form to launch the text comparison form:

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Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  51

Text Comparison Form

Name for Block 1
Enter a name for the first block of text. By default, the name is “Block 1”,
but you should enter a more descriptive name. The comparison results use
this name to refer to the first block of text.
Text for Block 1
Enter the text for the first block by browsing for a file, pasting text from the
clipboard, or typing directly into the field.
If you browse for a file, the block’s name is changed to the name of the file.
Name for Block 2
Enter a name for the second block of text. By default, the name is “Block 2”,
but you should enter a more descriptive name. The comparison results use
this name to refer to the second block of text.
Text for Block 2
Enter the text for the second block by browsing for a file, pasting text fromthe clipboard, or typing directly into the field.
If you browse for a file, the block’s name is changed to the name of the file.
Note that if you replace or edit the text, the description in “Name for
Block” does not change. Be sure to update it to avoid confusion.
Clear Button
To reset the names and text blocks, click [Clear].
52  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access DetectiveComparison Options
At the bottom of the form, there are options to specify how the text should
be compared.
Treat as VBA Code
When you select the Treat as VBA option, Total Access
Detective analyzes your text as if it is module or class code. This is similar to
the analysis performed on modules in your database—it breaks your text
into its parts (declarations, procedures, and properties) and compares it to
the corresponding sections in the other text block. Identically named
objects are compared (regardless of where they are located in each text
block), and any lines that don’t match are reported as differences. If there is
not a corresponding procedure or property, the results simply show that theprocedure or property exists in one but not the other.
If you check this option and your text is not code, Total Access Detective
treats your entire text block as if it were the general declarations sectionof a module. If you are not comparing code, unselect this option to
perform a simple text comparison.
Text Options
The Text Options button lets you specify how tocompare the text. These options are identical to the Module Comparison
options described in Text Comparison Options on page 37. The items
selected to ignore are displayed next to the button.

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Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  53

Performing the Analysis
Press [Run] to perform the analysis and the results are displayed:

Text Comparison Results: Differences Tab

The results are similar to macro and module comparison results. Print theresults by clicking [Report], or use the [Export] button to export them.
The Identical Procedures tab displays the list of procedure names that did
not have any differences. This makes it easy to confirm that no changes
occurred in those procedures:

Text Comparison Results: Identical Procedures Tab

In addition to the Text Block Differences, see the list of procedures withdifferences:

54  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access DetectiveText Comparison Results: Procedures with Differences Tab

Text Comparison Security Warning
The text comparison form uses the Microsoft rich text control. It may notload due to a Microsoft Internet Explorer security setting. If this happens,
this form appears when running the Text Comparison:

Text Comparison Security Setting Warning

Read the instructions on the screen since it may be different from theexample above.
There is a link to a Microsoft Knowledgebase article and a button to update
your registry setting. The problem should be fixed when you press the[Update Registry Setting] button.
The registry change may fail if you do not have administrator rights to theregistry hive of the local machine. If so, this form appears:

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Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database  55

Options if Registry Change Failed

Press the [Continue] button to run the text comparison feature. It will load aless full featured form. You can check the [Don’t Ask Again] option to makethis permanent.
Press [Cancel] if you do not want to continue. You can then fix the registry
entry and try again.
.

56  Chapter 3: Comparing Two Objects in One Database

Total Access DetectiveChapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases
This chapter explains Total Access Detective’s Database Comparison feature, which
compares objects between two databases. The results show unmatched objects, modified
objects, and differences in objects with identical names. Table relationships, data, security
permissions, database properties, and library references can also be compared.

Topics in this Chapter
 Database Comparison Overview
 Database Preparation
 Database Comparison Wizard
 Generating Database Comparison
 Viewing Results and Printing Reports
 Viewing Object Differences Viewing Data Differences Viewing Macro Differences Viewing Module Differences Unmatched Objects
 Errors
 Reports
 Compare Two Blocks of Text

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  57

Database Comparison Overview
The Database Comparison wizard guides you through the process of
selecting the databases and objects to compare.

Preparing Your Database
If you want to compare ADPs, or certain object types in an MDB/ACDDB(data access pages, command bars, or library references), you mustcomplete a preparation step before running the wizard (see Database
Preparation below for details).

Starting the Database Comparison for MDBs/ACCDBs
If you prepared your database, or if you do not want to compare the objects
listed above, open the TADETECT.MDB database.
This database is located in the folder where you installed Total Access
Detective, and the Setup program creates a shortcut to the database in the
Windows Start menu.

Starting the Database Comparison for ADPs
If you are comparing two Access Data Projects (ADPs), open the
TADECTECT.ADP database.

Using the Database Comparison Wizard
When the Wizard opens, follow these steps to compare the databases:
1. Specify the two databases to compare
2. Review the list of unmatched objects (objects that exist in one
database but not the other)
3. Select the identically named objects for detailed analysis
4. Specify the comparison options
5. Generate the comparison and view/print the results

Database Preparation
To compare ADPs or certain objects in an MDB/ACCDB (command bars, data
access pages, references, and certain database properties), you mustcomplete a preparation step for each database.
Database preparation is required because Microsoft Access does not allow
certain objects to be examined without having the database itself open.
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Because Database Comparison doesn’t open either database, it cannot see
these properties. When you prepare your database, Total Access Detective
creates a separate database that contains these objects, and that databaseis used during analysis.
Database preparation is not necessary if you don’t need to compare theobjects listed above. It is not necessary for comparing forms, reports, andmodules. Database preparation is always required for comparing ADPs.

Launch the Database Prepare Add-in
To prepare your databases for comparison, open each database is Microsoft
Access. Then from each database, run Total Access Detective Prepare.
In Access 2007 or later, select Total Access Detective Prepare from the
Database Tools ribbon, Add-ins menu.

Microsoft Access 2016 Add-ins Menu for Launching Total Access Detective

In Access 2003 and earlier, open it from the Tools, Add-Ins menu.

Microsoft Access 2007

Total Access Detective

Microsoft Access 2003 and Earlier

Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  59

This screen appears:

Confirm Database Preparation

Click [OK] to proceed, and a database is created in the same folder andname as your database with an extension of .DDB, .DDE, or .DDA (for yourdatabases with extensions *.MDB, *.MDE, and *ADP respectively). This
database contains information necessary for Total Access Detective tocompare these objects.
If you no longer need the preparation files, you can safely delete them toreclaim disk space.
Once you prepare an MDB/ACCDB database, you do not need to repeat
this process unless you modified or added a command bar, data accesspage, or VBA library reference.

Database Comparison Wizard
To compare databases, open the TADetect.ACCDB or TADetect.ADP
database from the folder where you installed the program, or use theshortcut in the Windows start menu under:
All Programs, FMS, Total Access Detective

Select “Database Compare” to compare ACCDB or MDB files, or select “ADP
Compare” to compare ADP files.
For Windows 8, 10 and later, the Windows shortcut doesn’t include the FMS
level.
Total Access Detective is always launched using the correct version of
Microsoft Access, regardless of the Access versions installed on yourmachine. This is accomplished using Total Access Startup from FMS.
Please visit www.fmsinc.com or contact FMS for additional information.
When the database opens, the main form appears:
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Database Comparison Wizard Main Form

The main form has the following buttons:
ButtonDescription

Generate New
Comparison

Launch the Database Comparison wizard tocompare two databases

View, Filter, and
Print

View the results of the databases compared, andprint reports. You can also open previously
compared results.

Compare Two
Blocks of Text

Compare any two blocks of text

Generating Database Comparison
To compare two databases, click [Generate New Comparison Between Two
Databases], and the wizard guides you through the process:1. Specify the two databases to compare
2. Review the list of identically named objects, and the list objects
found in only one of the databases
3. Select the identically named objects to compare
4. Specify the comparison options
5. Start the object comparison

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  61

When you click [Finish], Total Access Detective examines the databases andgenerates the results. You can then see the database differences byselecting [View, Filter, and Print Comparison Results] from the main form.

Page 1 — Specify Databases to Compare
From the main form, click [Generate New Comparison Between Two
Databases] to start the comparison. The first page of the Wizard appears:

Specify Databases to Compare

Use the *…+ buttons to locate the databases to compare, and click [Next].
If you press [Finish], all identically named objects in the two databases arecompared using your last specified options.

Page 2 — Review the Identically Named Objects
Total Access Detective performs a quick analysis and displays all theidentically named objects in the two databases:

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Select Objects for Comparison

Use the icons on the left side to filter the list by object type. The Status
column can help you determine which objects to select for comparison:
StatusDescription<none>

Objects have the same dates (most likely identical).

?

Two tables have identical dates, but their data may differ.
For tables, modification dates are based on structuralchanges, not data entry.

!

Objects are not the same. Last Modified dates do notmatch.

Selecting Objects for Comparison
To select an object for analysis, use its corresponding check box. The [SelectAll] button selects all objects in the current filter, and the [Select Diffs]
button selects all objects with different last modification dates (objects withthe ! symbol in the status column).
Keep in mind that the last modified date does not change when datachanges are made. If you want to compare table data, be sure to flag alltables with the ? symbol in the status column.
Note: For ADPs, only Access objects (forms, reports, macros, modules,
command bars, and library references) can be compared.
Printing the List of Identically Named Objects
The list of identically named objects gives a quick overview of thedatabases— use the [Report] button for a report of these objects:

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  63

Print Objects in Both Databases

Unmatched Objects
Click the [Unmatched Objects] button for a list of objects that exist in one
database, but not the other:

Unmatched Objects

This list shows you all objects that were added or deleted from either
database. Review this list for a quick overview of the different objects in the
databases, or use the [Report] button to generate a report.

Page 3 — Specify Comparison Options
A variety of comparison options are available for the selected objects:

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Database Comparison Options

Compare Table Data
When comparing tables, you can optionally compare data. Note that only
data in local tables can be compared—linked tables cannot be compared. To
compare linked tables, either import the tables or use the Object
Comparison feature described in the previous chapter. Because tables
cannot be compared between ADPs, data comparison is not available in
ADPs.
Data comparison can take a significant amount of time for tables withmany records. Compare local copies of your databases to reduce thedocumentation time.
Additional data comparison options are available from the Data Options
button:. These options are identical to the data

options for Object Comparison and are explained in Data Comparison
Options on page 32.
Compare Field Properties
Select this option to compare table and query field properties. Retrieving
field properties for linked tables is relatively slow. If you have many linked
tables, consider using the database that contains these tables in yourdocumentation, or unselect this option if you are not interested in field
properties.

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  65

Compare References
Select this option to compare VBA (library) references between the two
databases. To compare references, your databases must be prepared using
the instructions on page 58.
Compare Permissions
Select this option to compare security (permissions) settings.
Microsoft Access does not allow you to access the permissions of objects
unless you have sufficient security rights. The best way to avoid problems
with permissions comparisons is to log into Microsoft Access as a memberof the Admin group before starting Total Access Detective.
Compare Form and Report Modules
Select these options to compare the code behind the selected forms andreports. If you are only interested in layout information, you can speed up
processing by turning these options off.
Module and Macro Options

You can specify the # of Lines to Resync and the types of code to ignore toadjust how Total Access Detective finds differences in modules and macros.
These are identical to the options under Object Comparison (explained on
page 37).

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Page 4 — Database Verification
If you select data access pages, command bars, or references forcomparison, Total Access Detective checks if the database was properly
prepared (as explained on page 58).
Page 4 displays the preparation status:

Database Preparation Status

If you’ve properly prepared both databases, the indicators on this page
display “Yes.” If either database is not prepared, one or more of theindicators display “No,” and a message appears at the bottom of the page. If
this occurs, you should prepare the problem database, and restart the
Database Comparison wizard.
If you have no data access pages, command bars, or references selected,
one or more of the indicators on this page will display “None Selected.”
If everything is okay, click [Next].

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  67

Page 5 — Storage Database
By default, Total Access Detective stores the database comparison results ina database called TAD_DB.TDA in your application data folder (it’s just an
Access MDB file with a TDA extension).
You can change this from this screen:

Specify Database Storage Name

After selecting a file name, you can designate its folder as the default
storage folder so future files are stored there.
If the file already exists, information on the databases and when it wascompared is displayed.
When you’re ready, press *Finish+ to start the analysis.

Comparisons Completed
While Total Access Detective is comparing the databases, it displays thecurrent progress and the objects being compared. The processing timedepends on the number of objects selected and their complexity.

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When the comparison finishes, Total Access Detective displays the numberof differences, the number of errors found, and the elapsed time for thecomparison process:Comparison Completed

Click [OK] to return to the main menu, and use the [View, Filter, and Print
Comparison Results] button to see the results.

Viewing Results and Printing Reports
From the main form, select the[View, Filter, and Print
Comparison Results] button to
examine the results of the
Database Comparison.

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  69

Database Comparison Results Menu

The top of the form shows the database name where the comparisons are
stored, the names of the two databases that were compared, and when thecomparison occurred. If you saved the results in different database names,
you can load it with the open button:
Buttons are enabled or disabled based on the results of the comparison.
Object Differences
Property differences for all objects (tables, relationships, forms, etc.)
Data Differences
Table data differences.
Macro Differences
Macro differences and Macro source code.
Module Differences
Module differences and source code, including form and report modules.
Unmatched Objects
Objects that exist in one database but not the other.
ErrorsComparison errors, including objects that could not be compared.
Reports
Results reports for previewing and printing.

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Viewing Object Differences
Differences in property values for identically named objects are listed
under [Object Differences]. If an item exists in one object and not theother, its properties are not listed.
Following is an example of the object differences form:

Object Differences

If there are differences between embedded macros on forms and reports,
an additional Embedded Macros tab is available:

Embedded Macro Differences between Forms and Reports

While viewing the results, these options are available:

Total Access Detective

ButtonDescription

ReportSelect reports of the results to preview, print, view or export

ExportExport the results into a table in the database that you
specify

Find

Select from a list of documented objects, and jump to its
results

FilterFilter the records by object and property name

Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  71

Filtering the List
Since the list of object differences can be quite large, a filter is available tolimit the list by object type and property. Select the Filtered option, andclick the [Edit] button to open the Filter form. The Objects tab lists theobjects included in the comparison.

Object Filter

The Properties tab lists the properties where differences were foundbetween the two databases.

72  Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases

Total Access DetectiveProperty Filter

Use the icon menu on the left to filter the object or property list, and the[Select All] and [Clear All] buttons to help you select the desired items.
After selecting the objects and properties to include in the filter, click [OK]to return to the results form with the filter applied.
Filters Also Apply to Export and Reports
The filter that you select is respected when you export and print the results.
For example, if you filter the list to show only differences in the Customers
table, and then export the results, only the differences for that table areexported. If you filter the list to show only the RowSource property, andthen print the report, only RowSource differences are printed.

Viewing Data Differences
If you selected the option to compare table data, Total Access
Detective compares the data in the two databases based on the Data
Comparison options specified.
If the tables have the same key fields, the data differences results show
all missing and modified records (modified records have identical key
values but differences in other fields).

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  73

If the table is not keyed and you did not choose the option to treat the first
field as the key field, Total Access Detective cannot determine which
records are new, deleted, or modified. It compares the tables in theirdefault sort order and reports the first record that is different.
Each table’s comparison is available by selecting the table from the drop
down list of table names. Only tables with data differences are listed.
The Data tab shows all data differences, including modified rows, and rowsthat exist in one table but not the other:

Data Differences

The Modified Fields tab displays rows that exist in both tables, but are
different:

Data Differences, Modified Fields
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While viewing the results, these options are available:
ButtonDescription

ReportSelect a report to print, preview, report view, or export

ExportExport the results to a table in a database you specify

CombineCombine the data from the tables into a new table (page
75)

Close

Close the form and return to previous screen

The results include these fields:
FieldsDescription

Differences

The field values which differ. This can be quite large.
Expand the height of the record or use the zoom feature([Shift]+[F2]) to view the whole field.

Num Diffs

Number of fields with different values

Diff Type

Difference type (see below)

Diff Fields

Names of the fields that differ

Key Field(s)Key field(s) that identify the record

The “Diff Type” field identifies how the record differs—use this field to
identify differences quickly:
Diff Type

Description

1

Record exists in table 1 but not table 2.

2

Record exists in table 2 but not table 1.

M

Record exists in both tables and is modified.

N

Differences exist for tables without a primary key.

Combining Results
When viewing table data differences, Total Access Detective allows you to
combine the data from the tables that you compared into a new table. Thispowerful feature is available by clicking the [Combine] button:

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  75

Combine Table Data Form

Browse for a database to create the combined table in, and select a namefor the table.
The remaining options are similar to the Combining Data Between Two
Tables feature on page 46.

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Viewing Macro Differences
Total Access Detective performs line-by-line comparisons for the selected
macros, and displays code differences (including modified lines andblocks of added or deleted code).
Each macro may have sub-macros (macro names) within it— Total Access
Detective reports differences in sub-macros as well.

Macro Differences

Total Access Detective does not document differences in the sort order ofmacro names, since sort order doesn’t affect the macro’s behavior.
These buttons are available:

Total Access Detective

ButtonDescription

ReportReports for the differences and source code for each macro.
Reports are available for the currently viewed macro or all
the macros with differences.

ExportExport the results into a table in the database you specify

Find

Select a macro to view from a list of macros with differences

Close

Close the form and return to previous screen

Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  77

Viewing Module Differences
Total Access Detective performs line-by-line comparisons for the selected
modules. If you selected the option to compare form and report modules,
the code behind the selected forms and reports is also compared.
The results show differences between the lines of code for identically
named procedures and properties, as well as a list of unmatchedprocedures and properties. This includes modified lines and blocks ofadded or deleted code.
A separate tab, Identical Procedures, lists all the procedures with nodifferences, and the Procedures with Differences tab shows the list ofprocedures with code differences.

Module Differences and Identical Procedures

Total Access Detective does not document differences in the sortorder of procedures, since sort order doesn’t affect the VBA code’s
behavior.
These buttons are available:
ButtonDescription

ReportReports for the differences and source code of each module.
Reports are available for the currently viewed module or all
the modules with differences.

ExportExport the results into a table in the database you specify

78  Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases

Total Access DetectiveFind

Select a module to view from a list of modules withdifferences

Close

Close the form and return to previous screen

Unmatched Objects
Total Access Detective lists objects (tables, queries, forms, data accesspages, reports, macros, modules, command bars, relations, references)in one database but not the other. Use this form as a quick way to
discover new or deleted objects.

Unmatched Objects

See Unmatched Objects on page 64 for more information.

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  79

Errors
Total Access Detective may be unable to compare certain objects. For
instance, data comparison on tables with different structures, corrupt
objects, and queries based on missing tables cannot be compared.
These objects and errors are listed on the Errors form.

Comparison Errors

Reports
The Reports feature allows you to print several reports simultaneously,
rather than from each of their respective sections. The Summary reports
are only available here. This form lets you select the reports:

Report Selection Form

The following options are available on the Reports form:

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ButtonDescription

Preview

Preview the current report your cursor is on (it does notneed to be selected).

View

Open the current report in Report View. Report View is notavailable in Access 2003 or earlier.

Print

Send the selected (checked) reports to the printer.

ExportExport the selected (checked) reports to a variety offormats in a folder you specify.

Close

Close the form and return to previous screen

Note that the reports here do not have filtering. They include all theobjects and properties or code for its category. In many cases, if you only
want a subset, view the data from the other forms and print it fromthere. You can also use the [View] button to open reports in Report View,
and use the built-in Access options to apply filtering.
See Appendix: Sample Reports on page 93 for details and examples.

Compare Two Blocks of Text
From the main form, select[Compare Two Blocks of Text] tocompare text that is pasted,
typed, or retrieved from a file.
The functionality is identical to the “Text Comparison” feature available
under Object Compare, which is described on page 51.

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Chapter 4: Comparing Objects in Two Databases  81

Chapter 5: Additional Topics
This chapter contains additional information about the Total Access Detective files andfunctionality. You do not need to read this chapter to use Total Access Detective, however it
provides a deeper understanding of how the program works.

Topics in this Chapter
 How the Program Works Comparing Two Databases from a Command Line Special Date Comparison Issues

Total Access Detective

Chapter 5: Additional Topics  83

How the Program Works
Architecture
Total Access Detective is written completely in Microsoft Access using VBA.
It works in two distinct modes:

Two Object Comparison
Launched as an Access add-in while you’re in the database with theobjects to compare

Two Database Comparison
Launched as an Access database to point to your two databases

In both cases, Total Access Detective compares your objects without
modifying them.
For two object comparison, the objects are placed into design mode,compared, and closed without saving any changes. For two database
comparisons, objects are imported into our database and opened forcomparison without affecting the source object.

Temporary Files
Total Access Detective stores its results as temporary files in your Windows
Application Data Folder under FMS/Total Access Detective/16.0 for Access
2016, 15.0 for Access 2013, 14.0 for Access 2010, 12.0 for Access 2007, 11.0
for Access 2003, etc. The location of your Application Data folder depends
on your Windows user settings.
Object Comparison Files
Object Comparison stores its results in an Access database (extension*.TDA) in your Windows Application Data folder, or a location you specify.
Database Comparison FilesThe Database Comparison starts with one of these two databases:
TADETECT.ACCDB for Jet databases (MDB and ACCDB formats)

TADETECT.ADP for ADP files

It stores its results in the TAD_TMP.TDA database in your Windows
Application Data folder.

Comparing Two Databases from a Command Line
There may be situations where you want to compare the same two
databases repeatedly. You can create a Windows shortcut to point to yourtwo databases to launch Total Access Detective and have it automatically84  Chapter 5: Additional Topics

Total Access Detective

compare all the common objects between your two databases using thesettings from the last session and store the results in a database you specify.
Here’s an example:"C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office16\MSACCESS.EXE""C:\Total Access Detective 2016\tadetect.accdb"/cmd "C:\Northwind1.accdb;C:\Northwind2.accdb;
C:\Output\NorthwindCompare.tda"

Shortcut Syntax
There are three parts to the command line. The first two are for Access toopen the Total Access Detective database for comparing the two databases:
1. Microsoft Access path
The first part is the full path to the Microsoft Access program(MSACCESS.EXE).
2. Total Access Detective database path.
The second part is the full path to the Total Access Detective database. Thisis either TADETECT.ACCDB or TADETECT.ADP based on whether you arecomparing Jet Databases (MDB/ACCDB) or Access Data Projects
respectively.
3. Command Line Parameter
The third part is the command /cmd parameter with quotes around the fullpath to the two databases separated by a semicolon.
You can optionally add a third database name which is the database that
stores the results. If you don’t include it, the default Total Access Detective
database name is used, but that is overwritten the next time it runs. If you
are comparing multiple pairs of databases, you’ll want to specify the output
database name uniquely for each pair so you can view them later.
You can name the storage database with any extension but we recommend
using the *.TDA extension for consistency with other Total Access Detective
storage files.

Only One Comparison at a TimeYou can only run one instance of Total Access Detective at a time. You canrun Total Access Detective with the command line consecutively but not
simultaneously.

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Chapter 5: Additional Topics  85

Special Date Comparison Issues
Total Access Detective uses Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code to
retrieve and store property values, and stores them in an Access table. If theproperty value is a date (for example, the DateModified property), Total
Access Detective reads the value as a date. Since it stores all differencesinternally as string values, it stores dates according to the current Windows
settings for date handling.
This means that Total Access Detective’s date comparison results may notdisplay the full four digits year. If Total Access Detective shows a dateproperty difference, you should use Access to view the actual property
values to determine the differences.
Use the Windows Control Panel Regional Settings to view and change
your date settings. Refer to your Windows help file for more information
about regional settings.

86  Chapter 5: Additional Topics

Total Access DetectiveChapter 6: Troubleshooting and Support
This chapter provides information about troubleshooting problems that arise and obtaining
support for Total Access Detective.

Topics in this Chapter
 Support Resources
 Web Site Support
 Technical Support Options
 Contacting Technical Support

Total Access Detective

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting and Support  87

Support Resources
There are many resources available to help you resolve issues you may
encounter. Please check the following:

Readme File
Check the README file for the latest product information. The README file
is located in the directory where you installed the product.

Product Documentation
We’ve spent a great deal of care and time to make sure the Total Access
Detective manual and help file are very detailed. Check the Table ofContents and Index for your question, and read the appropriate pages.

Web Site Support
The FMS web site contains extensive resources to help you use our products
better. Resources include product updates, frequently asked questions(FAQs), forums, information on new versions, betas, and other resources.

Web Site
The FMS web site is located at:www.fmsinc.com

News and important announcements are posted here.

Support Site
The main support page is located at:
http://support.fmsinc.com

From this page, you can quickly locate the other support resources.

Product Updates
FMS takes product quality very seriously. When bugs are reported and we
can fix them, we make the updates available on our web site. If you areencountering problems with our product, make sure you are using the latest
version.
Product updates can also be checked using the update wizard. See Using
the Update Wizard on page 23 for details.

88  Chapter 6: Troubleshooting and Support

Total Access Detective

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Common questions and additional information beyond what is in the
manual is often available from our FAQs.

Microsoft Patches
Our support site also includes links to Microsoft patches that are related toour products. Make sure you’re using the latest versions by checking here orvisiting the Microsoft site.

Technical Support Options
FMS is committed to providing professional support for all of our products.
We offer free access to our online FAQs and forums. Bug reports, feature
requests, suggestions, and general pre-sales questions related to our
products are always available at no cost.
Additional maintenance plans are available to provide subscribers withenhanced technical support. This is the best way for you to stay current withthe rapidly changing technologies that impact project development, and toensure you are getting the maximum return from your software investment.
Please visit our web site, www.fmsinc.com, for the most up-to-date
information.
Features & Benefits

Premium

Incident

Standard

Telephone Support

Per incident

First 30
Days

Email Support

Per incident

First 30
Days

Access to FAQs
Access to Forums
Minor Upgrades/
Bug Fixes

Priority Response Time 1
Senior Engineer Support
Team
Email Project for Testing
Programmatic CodeAssistance 2
Total Access Detective

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting and Support  89

Major Upgrades for Current
Version (not between
Access versions)
Cost

Annual Fee

Additional
fee

Additional
fee

Fee Per
Incident

Included

1. Response generally within two business days. Actual resolution may
take longer depending on complexity of the issue reported.
2. Custom Programming implementation is not provided in our Support
Maintenance plans. For products that include a programmaticinterface, we can provide instructions for using our programmaticinterface, and show examples, but we do not implement this into yourprojects. This service is available from our Professional Solutions
Group.

Premium Subscription
The Premium Subscription is the ideal option for customers seeking thehighest level of support from FMS. The annual fee entitles you to telephoneand email technical support from a senior support engineer.
From time to time, FMS may release new versions of existing products
which add new features. These are point releases (e.g. from version 15.0 to15.1) and are different from new builds that correct problems in existing
features (e.g. from version 16.00.0001 to 16.00.0002).
These point releases are available for a nominal upgrade fee to existingcustomers. Premium Technical Support subscribers receive these upgrades
automatically and for no additional charge during their subscription term.
NOTE: Upgrades between versions (for instance going from Access 2013 toAccess 2016) are not considered Point Release Upgrades and are notincluded in the Premium Subscription.
Subscriptions are available for a twelve month period, and may bepurchased at any time. You must be the registered owner of the product topurchase a subscription and the only person contacting FMS for support
under the subscription.
Please ensure you have purchased the Subscription you need for Total
Access Detective.

Per Incident
Our Per Incident package is available individually or by purchasing multiple
incidents in advance. The Per Incident support package provides telephone
90  Chapter 6: Troubleshooting and Support

Total Access Detective

and email technical support from a Senior Technical Support Engineer for
resolving one incident.
An incident is defined as a single question related to one of our
products. The Per Incident period is from start to finish (report of theincident to resolution) for a single incident. If you anticipate multiple
questions for a single product, we recommend purchasing the Premium
Subscription.

Standard Subscription
Our Standard Subscription comes with every product purchased for no
additional cost. The standard subscription comes with access to our FAQs
and forums, and responses to bug reports and feature requests for thatversion.
Please note that the person requesting support must also be the registereduser of the product. Registration is required and will be requested by ourTechnical Support professionals.

Contacting Technical Support
If the troubleshooting suggestions and other support resources fail toresolve your problem, please contact our technical support department. We
are very interested in making sure you are satisfied with our product.

Registering Your Software
You must be registered to receive technical support. Registration also
entitles you to free product updates, notifications, information about
upcoming products, and beta invitations. You can even receive free email
notification of our latest news.
If you purchased your product directly from FMS, you are alreadyregistered. If not, Contact Us.

Contact Us
The best way to contact us is to submit a ticket on our support site:
http://support.fmsinc.com

Please provide detailed information about the problem that you areencountering. This should include the name and version of the product,
your operating system, and the specific problem. If the product generated
an error file, please submit that as well.
Our ticketing system will let you track the progress of your issue and see theentire thread of communications and file attachments.
Total Access Detective

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting and Support  91

Please bear in mind that a unique issue may involve meetings between thetechnical support staff and product developers, so your patience isappreciated.

Microsoft Technical Support
FMS only provides technical support for its products. If you have questions
regarding Microsoft products, please contact Microsoft technical support.

92  Chapter 6: Troubleshooting and Support

Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports
This section provides samples of the reports available in Total Access Detective.

Items in the Appendix
Object Comparison Reports

Database Comparison Reports

Object Property Differences

Summary of Database Differences

Fields Compared for Data Differences

Objects in Both Databases

Data Differences by Record

Objects Not in One Database

Field Differences of Modified Records

Selected Objects with Differences

Macro Differences

Selected Objects that are Identical

Macro Lines

Object Property Differences

Module Differences

Data Differences Summary

Module Printout

Data Differences Fields Compared
Data Differences
Macro Differences
Macro Lines
Module Differences
Module Printout
Comparison Errors
List of Reports

Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  93

Object Comparison Reports
The Object Comparison feature includes several reports for viewing and printing the differences between
two objects in a database.

Object Property Differences
This report shows the differences between the two selected objects. It can display differences between
tables, fields, data access pages, queries, forms, reports, controls, command bars, permissions, andrelationships.

Object Property Differences Report94  Appendix: Sample Reports

Total Access Detective

Fields Compared for Data Differences
This report shows the fields that were matched for data comparison. The field names are identical between
tables, unless comparison was performed by field order. The report displays the field name from each table,
and whether it is a key field. For non-keyed tables or queries, if the option is selected to treat the first field
as a unique identifier, that field is shown as a Key Field.

Fields Compared for Data Differences

Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  95

Data Differences by Record
This report shows the data differences between the selected tables. It displays the key fields for the new andmodified records, along with the number of fields that differ, the field names, and the actual differences.
See Data Comparison on page 42 for more information.

Data Differences by Record Report

Field Differences of Modified Records
This report shows the data differences for modified records in the selected tables side by side. It displays the
key fields, along with the number of fields that differ, the field names, and the actual differences. This report
only shows records that were modified, not records that exist in one table and not in the other (records thatwere inserted or deleted).

Field Differences of Modified Records

96  Appendix: Sample Reports

Total Access Detective

Macro Differences
This report shows the differences between the selected macros.

Macro Differences Report

There are similar reports for Embedded Macro differences on forms and reports.
This report displays the blocks of code that are different. If your code is large andcomplex, use this report in conjunction with the Macro Lines report to determine thecomplete context of each block of code.

Macro Lines
This report shows the complete source code for the selected macros. Along with the code, the reportdisplays line numbers, which are reset to 1 at the beginning of each macro name. These line numbers arereferenced in the Macro Differences report.

Macro Lines Report

There are similar reports for Embedded Macro differences on forms and reports.
Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  97

Module Differences
This report shows the differences between the selected modules.

Module Differences Report

This report only displays the blocks of code that are different. If your code is large andcomplex, use this report in conjunction with the Module Source Code report to determine
the complete context of each block of code.

Identical ProceduresThis report shows the list of procedures that are identical between the two modules. This makes it easy toconfirm nothing changed in those procedures. Procedures are not listed if the entire module is identical.

Identical Procedure Names

98  Appendix: Sample Reports

Total Access DetectiveModule Printout
This report shows the complete source code for the selected modules. Along with the code, the reportdisplays line numbers, which are reset to 1 at the beginning of each procedure. These line numbers arereferenced in the Module Differences report.

Module Printout Report

Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  99

Database Comparison Reports
The Database Comparison feature includes several reports for viewing and printing the differences between
two databases. View a list of all available reports by clicking the [Reports] button from the View Menu.

Summary of Database Differences
This report shows a summary of the database comparison:

Summary of Database Differences Report100  Appendix: Sample Reports

Total Access Detective

Objects in Both Databases
This report shows a list of objects that have identical names and object types in both databases, along with
their modification dates and whether they were selected for comparison. This report is also available frompage 2 of the Database Comparison wizard (see Printing the List of Identically Named Objects on page 63
for details).

Objects in Both Databases Report

The Selected Objects report is similar and only shows the objects selected for comparison.

Objects Not in One Database
Two reports show objects only in one of the two databases:Objects in Database 1 Not in Database 2

Objects in Database 2 Not in Database 1

Use these reports to determine which objects were added or deleted.

Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  101

Objects Not in One Database Report

Selected Objects with Differences
This report shows a list of objects that exist in both databases that have differences with the number ofproperty and/or code differences in each, plus a summary by object type.

Selected Objects with Differences Report

Selected Objects that are Identical
This report shows objects selected for comparison that do not have differences.

102  Appendix: Sample Reports

Total Access Detective

Selected Objects that are Identical Report

Object Property Differences
This report shows the property differences between the selected pairs of identically named objects in thetwo databases. It includes differences in tables, fields, queries, forms, reports, data access pages, controls,command bars, and permissions. This report does not include macro, module, or data differences.
There are two Object Property Differences reports with different layouts:Object Property Differences (Portrait)Object Property Differences (Landscape)

Object Property Differences Report
Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  103

Data Differences Summary
This report shows a summary of the data differences between the selected tables. It displays the number of
new records and modified records in each table. See Compare Table Data on page 65 for details.

Data Differences Summary Report

Data Differences Fields Compared
By default, identical field names are compared. If you choose another data comparison option such ascomparing fields based on field order or only comparing identically named tables, this report shows which
fields were compared to each other. For non-keyed tables, if you choose to treat the first field as a unique
identifier, it is shown as the Key Field.

Data Differences Fields Compared Report104  Appendix: Sample Reports

Total Access Detective

Data Differences
Several reports are available to show the data differences between the selected tables:Data Differences (All):
Shows all data differences between tables.

Data Differences (New in Database 1)
Shows new records in database 1 for indexed tables.

Data Differences (New in Database 2)
Shows new records in database 2 for indexed tables.

Data Differences (Modified Only)
Shows modified records for indexed tables.

Data Differences (Non-Keyed Tables)
Shows the first modified record for un-indexed (non-keyed) tables.

These reports display the key fields for the new and modified records, along with the number of fields thatdiffer, the field names, and the actual differences. See Compare Table Data on page 65 for details.

Data Differences (All) Report

Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  105

Macro Differences
This report shows the differences between the selected macros.

Macro Differences Report

There are similar reports for Embedded Macro differences on forms and reports.
This report only displays the blocks of code that are different. If your code is large andcomplex, use this report in conjunction with the Macro Source Code report for thecomplete context of each block of code.

Macro Lines
This report shows the complete source code for the selected macros. Along with the code, the reportdisplays line numbers, which start at 1 for each macro name. These line numbers are referenced in the
Macro Differences report. This report is available in these formats:

Macro Lines from Database 1Macro Lines from Database 2Macro Lines from Both Databases

The lines from the same macro from each database are printed one after the other. For short macros, both
macros can appear on one page for visual comparison.

106  Appendix: Sample Reports

Total Access Detective

Macro Lines Report

There are similar reports for Embedded Macro differences on forms and reports

Module Differences
These reports show the differences between the selected modules:

All Module Differences (Form, Report and Standard Module differences)Standard Module Differences

Form Module Differences

Report Module Differences

Module Differences Report

Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  107

This report only displays the blocks of code that differ. If your code is large and complex,
use this report with the Module Code report to determine the complete context of eachblock of code.

Module Identical ProceduresThis report shows all the procedure names with no differences for modules that have other differences. If a
module has no differences at all, its procedures are not listed.
Four reports are available:

All Module Identical ProceduresStandard Module Identical ProceduresForm Module Identical ProceduresReport Module Identical Procedures

Identical Procedures Report108  Appendix: Sample Reports

Total Access DetectiveModule Printout
These reports show the complete source code for the selected modules. Along with the code, the reportdisplays line numbers, which start at 1 for each procedure. These line numbers are referenced in the
Module Differences reports.
Six reports are available:

Module Code from Database 1Module Code from Database 2Form Module Code from Database 1Form Module Code from Database 2

Report Module Code from Database 1

Report Module Code from Database 2

Module Printout ReportComparison Errors
This report shows any errors encountered by Total Access Detective during the comparison process. You
should always check this report to ensure that all objects were correctly compared.

Errors Report

Total Access Detective

Appendix: Sample Reports  109

List of Reports
There is a system report listing the available reports and their export file names which are used when you
export the report to a format like PDF, HTML, etc.

List of Reports

110 

Total Access Detective

Index## of lines to resync, 38

332 and 64 bit versions, 11AA4 paper, 26
add-ins menu, 29, 59
ADP comparison, 14, 25

B
blog, 19browse, 71, 77, 79

Ccombine table data, 46,
75
command line, 13, 84
compare data, 65
compare field properties,
65
compare modules, 66
compare permissions, 66
compare references, 66
compare text. see Text
Comparison
comparison options, 31–
39, 64–66# of lines to resync, 38
compare data, 65
compare field
properties, 65
compare modules, 66
compare permissions,66
compare references,66
data options, 65
form options, 35–37,
66
Total Access Detective

ignore blank lines, 39ignore case, 39ignore comments, 39ignore indentations,
39
line numbers, 39
module options, 66
report options, 35–37,
66
table/query options,65
text options, 37Ddata access pagecomparison, 5data comparison
combine results, 46,75
data, 43
display, 35
documentation, 34
field comparison, 33
modified fields, 45
numerical accuracy, 36
options, 32–36, 65
record identifier, 32
results, 42–47, 73–76
unkeyed tables, 43, 75
data differences report,
75, 95, 96, 104, 105
Database Comparison,
57–81
compare data, 65
compare field
properties, 65
compare permissions,66
compare references,66
data results, 73–76
databases, 62
errors, 80
export results, 71
filter results, 73
form options, 66

macro results, 77
main menu, 60
module options, 66
object differences, 71
object status, 63
objects, 62
options, 64–66
report options, 66
reports, 63, 69–81,
69–81, 100–110
results, 68, 69–81
startup, 60
table/query options,65
unmatched objects,
64, 79verification, 67
wizard, 61
database differences
library references, 6
permissions, 6
relations, 6
database differences
report, 100
database is not
updateable error, 26
database preparation,
58–60
database verification, 67
databases
network databases, 24
password-protected,
25
secured, 25
date comparison issues,
86
default storage folder, 68
disk space, 22
display options, 35
documentation options,34E

embedded macrodifferences, 49
embedded macros, 37
enhancements, 6
errors, 25–27, 67, 80
startup errors, 25–27
exclude properties, 12
export, 41, 42, 71, 75, 77,
78

F
field comparison options,33
field differences, 4filterobject filter, 73
property filter, 73
FMS web site, 18, 88
form comparison, 5form options, 35–37, 66
compare modules, 66

Iidentical procedures, 11ignore blank lines, 11, 39
ignore case, 11, 15, 39
ignore comments, 11, 39
ignore indentations, 39
import/export speccomparison, 6
index differences, 4
installation, 21–27
location, 23
international settings, 25

Llast analysis, 49
license agreement, i–iii
line numbers, 39
linked tables, 65

embedded macro
comparison, 11

Index  111

M
macro comparison, 5
macro differences report,
77, 97, 106
macro lines report, 97,
106
macro source code
report, 77
Microsoft Access 2003, 7
Microsoft Access 2007, 7
Microsoft Access 2010, 7,
10Microsoft Access 2013, 7
Microsoft Access 2016, 7
module comparison, 5ignore case, 15
module differences
report, 78, 98, 107,
108
module options, 66# of lines to resync, 38
ignore blank lines, 39ignore case, 39ignore comments, 39ignore indentations,
39
ignore line numbers,
39
module printout report,
78, 99, 109

N
network databases, 24
new features, 6
newsgroups, 19
numerical accuracy, 36

OObject Comparison, 28–56# of lines to resync, 38
compare modules, 66
data results, 42–47
export results, 42
form options, 35–37
ignore blank lines, 39ignore case, 39ignore comments, 39112 ignore indentations,
39
ignore line numbers,
39
macro results, 47–49
module results, 47–49,
78
options, 31–39
property results, 40
report options, 35–37
reports, 94–99
text options, 37
object differences, 71
object differences report,
71
object property
differences report, 94,
103
objects in both databases
report, 101
objects not in one
database report, 64,
79
objects not in one
database report, 101Ppage comparison. seedata access pagecomparison
paper size, 26
password-protected
databases, 25
permission differences, 6
permissions, 30, 66
prepare database, 58–60
print
Database Comparison
reports, 69–81,
100–110
identically named
objects, 63
list of reports, 110
Object Comparison
reports, 94–99
objects not in one
database, 64, 79
procedure comparison, 5property comparison
results, 40
property selection, 30

Qquery comparison, 5query options, 65

Rrecord identifier options,32
references, 6, 66
relations comparison, 6
reportobjects in both
databases, 101
selected objects withdifferences, 102
report comparison, 5
report options, 66
compare modules, 66
reports, 41, 63, 93–110
data differences, 75,
95, 96, 104, 105
Database Comparison,
69–81, 69–81, 100–110
database differences,
100
export, 41
macro differences, 77,
97, 106
macro lines, 97, 106
macro source code, 77
module differences,78, 98, 107, 108
module printout, 99
module source code,
78, 109
Object Comparison,
94–99
object differences, 71
object property
differences, 94, 103
objects not in one
database, 64, 79
objects not in one
database, 101
paper size, 26
resync lines, 38

Ssample reports, 93–110
secured databases, 25
security, 66
selected objects withdifferences report, 102
setup, 21–27
startup, 24, 29, 60
errors, 25–27
status, 63
storage database, 12, 13,68
storage folder, 12
syntax error, 26
system requirements, 22Ttable comparison, 4data, 5fields, 4indexes, 4table data comparison.
see data comparison
table options, 65
compare data, 65
compare field
properties, 65
compare permissions,66
compare references,
66
TAD_DB.TDA, 68
TAD_TMP2.MDB, 84
TADETECT.ACCDB, 84
TADETECT.ADP, 84
TADETECT.MDB, 58
technical support, 91
Text Comparison, 6, 51–
56
warning, 55
results, 54
text comparison options,37
Total Access Detective isin use error, 27
Total Access Startup, 60
troubleshooting, 88
trusted folder, 14

Total Access Detective

Two Database
Comparison. see
Database Comparison
Two Object Comparison.
see Object
Comparison

Total Access DetectiveU
uninstalling, 23
unkeyed tables, 43, 75
unmatched objects, 64,
79
Update Wizard, 23
updates, 18, 23

upgrading, 22
user access control(UAC), 14V
VBA references, 66
version history, 10view last analysis, 49

W
web site, 18, 88
Wizard, 29
workgroup security, 25 113