MOD2000: Modifying Publication Schema Causes Offline Changes to Become Conflicts (247669)

SYMPTOMS

As an offline user, when you try to synchronize the data store with the online data store, you may receive the following error message:

The online database has changed since you went offline. The changes you made while offline will be logged as conflicts.

After the synchronization process stops, the changes do appear as conflicts. When you view them, these error messages are associated with the modified record:

Data you have entered locally could not be added to the database on the server. Contact your server administrator for assistance.

Changes to the online database schema have been detected. This row has not been synchronized and may conflict with a row in the online database. Click "Keep Data Locally" to apply your change.

CAUSE

These error messages occur because the publication currently on the server has been modified not to allow the actions that the offline user performed in his or her offline data store. Because the actions are no longer allowed in the current version of the publication, the synchronization process alerts the user to this problem for resolution.

After the solution owner modifies the offline publication schema, any offline changes impacted by the offline publication schema changes become synchronization conflicts when the offline user tries to synchronize to the online data store.

For example, assume that a user takes a solution offline. This user both adds and modifies a particular record. Unknown to this offline user, the solution owner has modified the offline publication not to allow edits by anyone.

RESOLUTION

Minimize offline publication schema changes after solutions have been taken offline. If you must make schema changes to an offline publication, re-create the offline publication. For more information about re-creating an offline publication, see the "Re-creating an Offline Publication" topic in the Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Access Workflow Designer Developer's Guide Help system.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

On the computer with the Microsoft Access Workflow Designer developer components, create a workflow-enabled solution. Be sure to designate a main table, to add workflow, and to create an offline publication.
On the development computer, switch to Microsoft Access. Create a data access page for the solution that you created in Step 1. Add fields to the page from the main table's view. Set the page header's UniqueTable property (on the Data tab) to the main table itself.
On the development computer, click the page header.
Insert the Workflow Toolbar Control (the Microsoft Office Developer Workflow Toolbar ActiveX control).
Save the page, and then close it.
On the client computer, be sure you have installed the client components and MSDE, including Microsoft SQL Server SP1.
In Microsoft Internet Explorer, browse to the data access page that you created in step 2.
Click the Offline button on the Workflow Toolbar Control. Select Make Available Offline, and then click the publication name.
When you are prompted, create a favorite for this page.
On the File menu in Microsoft Internet Explorer, click Work Offline.
In Microsoft Internet Explorer, click Refresh.
When you are prompted, click Stay Offline.
Click New on the Workflow Toolbar Control to add a new record.
Click the Save Changes button (the button at the bottom of the page that looks like a floppy disk with a pencil.)
Modify the record that you saved in Step 14.
On the development computer, modify the offline publication in Access Workflow Designer. Click Permissions, and then click to clear the Edit check box for the public role. This prevents anyone from modifying records in any way.
Save the changes.
On the client computer, click the Offline button on the Workflow Toolbar Control. Click Synchronize Now. Note that you receive the error messages mentioned at the beginning of this article.