Use ACT! OLE DB Provider to retrieve Contacts details

[Yan]

Is there anybody knows how to use ACT! OLE DB Provider to retrieve Contacts that can be modified?

I am able to link to VRP_CONTACT table but it does not allow me to add, modify or delete Contacts.

I have tried to link to TBL_CONTACT table but unfortunately, I am having the following error

Run-time error '-2147217911 (80040e09)':

The SELECT permission was denied on the object 'TBL_CONTACT', database 'TestDB', schema 'dbo'.

Also, is there anybody knows which versions of ACT! support the ACT! OLE DB Provider?

Thanks in advance!!

[Tdavis]

The VRP tables are for reporting only, they are ready only tables.  To directly access TBL_CONTACT and add data I believe you would need the sa password (which you would have to purchase from Sage)  The reccomended way to add, modify contacts etc is using the act framework.  There are some samples available on this site and also included in the sdk downloads.  All versions after 6 ie 7 and up support the OLE DB provider.

Tom

[Yan]

Thanks for that.

Since I have to create the application in Visual Basic 6, this OLE DB Provider will be much handier for me to use rather than the act framework. The act framework seems to be only supported by using .Net

Do you know is there any ACT! ActiveX Component provided which can be used by Visual Basic 6?

[Tdavis]

None that I know of but that's not to say its not possible, I've just never tried.

Tom

[Yan]

You have mentioned that "To directly access TBL_CONTACT and add data I believe you would need the sa password (which you would have to purchase from Sage)", would you please tell me do we the developers have to purchase it or the users have to purchase it?

If the developers have to purchase it, is it a once-off purchase or is a license type that we have to pay for this every year and so on? Also how much will it be?

Where can I get more information on this?

Thanks in advance!!

[Tdavis]

Its about £500 and is serial number and act version specific, that is if you bought it for v10 I believe you would have to buy it for v11, although again don't hold me to this as I have never bought it I know some developers have used it to write stored procedures but techinically this violates the EULA of ACT!.  The trouble with writing data directly to the tables is that it doesn't maintain the integrity rules set up using the framework.  Also fields can hit 'spill over' tables so you may not just have TBL_CONTACT you may also have TBL_CONTACT_NBCUST_1234 or something similiar containg additional fields. Additionaly for things like activities, histories vs history types etc. data is stored across different tables so I could see this being a headache if you have more than basic data to enter.

[gregf]

Hi Yan -

To work with the ACT! framework using anything other than .NET, you would need to create a wrapper DLL which is COM compatible in .NET then use that wrapper DLL from VB6 (or any other COM language, for that matter) to work with the ACT! framework.  Doing this is not a trivial task, so if you absolutely MUST use VB6 to work with .NET, be prepared for it to be expensive or take a lot of learning on your part.

Greg Ferber

DesignR1 Software LLC

Senior Programmer

[kritguy]

Hi Dude,

On the basis that you are a VB6 Developer who uses ACT 2008 or above...

My MiddleWare SDK for ACT by Sage is such a "wrapper".

The COMMAND to be sent to MiddleWareSDK is "GOCS" and it returns the live and usable ACTOLEDB Connection String for an instant connection w/out the user name or password being manually entered - using Visual Basic 6.0 (or any other programming language). 

You can download it from http://MiddleWareSDK.com

It is free by the way. No is registration required either.

Cheers,
Kevin

----------------

Kevin Ritch
V8Software.com

[Geoff]

Yan,

The ODBC connection to the ACT! database is readonly.  To update data, you MUST use the ACT! SDK and dotNet - VB.Net, C# or J#.  Kevin Ritch has a "wrapper" that lets you write in VB6 or another COM language, and I think he provides update funtions.  But the ODBC connection, with or without that wrapper, is ReadOnly!

Good Luck,

Geoff Blood

ACT! Development Partner

[kritguy]

Thanks for the mention Geoff. And yes you are absolutely correct about ACTOLEDB - I actually adore the function in the ACT SDK:

ActApp.ActFramework.CurrentACTOLEDB

to get the Connection string so that you can pass it to VB6/C++ etc for analysis w/out username and password :-)

It is enbedded into my MiddleWare SDK which IS indeed, pretty much a "wrapper". And yes - MiddleWare DOES provide a fair amount of writing data to ACT.

For the attention of newbies to ACT Add-On Development, and anybody who does not yet know him - Geoff is honestly the absolute GURU of Add-On Developers. He is, IMHO not only better than me at this game, but is, in fact - the foremost SDK Developer for ACT in the business. He has spent many, many SOLID years turning ACT into the best Contact Manager in the history of all products of this genre.

It can truly be said that Geoff is DEVOTED to his craft and really is THE top man in this business.

Period.

Regards,
Kevin