ACC2000: "About MDE Files" Help Topic Incorrect (208735)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Access 2000
This article was previously published under Q208735
Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

For a Microsoft 2002 version of this article, see 290421.

SYMPTOMS

The "About MDE files" Help Topic contains the following paragraph:

If your database contains Microsoft Visual Basic code, saving your Microsoft Access database as an MDE compiles all modules, removes all editable source code, and compacts the destination database. Your Visual Basic code will continue to run, but it cannot be viewed or edited, and the size of your Access database will be reduced due to the removal of the code. Additionally, memory usage is optimized, which will improve performance.

The last sentence of this paragraph is incorrect. MDEs are no faster than the equivalent, fully compiled and compacted, MDBs. Visual Basic for Applications uses the same memory optimizations for both; that is, source code is not loaded if the project is compiled. MDEs can never decompile like MDBs, which makes them run consistently at the same speed. MDBs can decompile when changes are made to the underlying Visual Basic code, which may make them appear to run more slowly.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/28/2004
Keywords:kbdocerr KB208735
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