13.6. Distributing Applications That Reference Type Libraries and Custom DLLs

It is a bit trickier to deploy applications if they contain references to some Type libraries and DLLs. You can't always just drop a database file onto a disk and expect it to work, because the target system may not already contain the required Type libraries and DLLs.

To ensure the database functions correctly on every platform, you may have to include them in an installation package you create using the Package and Deployment Wizard that comes with the Access Developer Extensions (ADE).

The Package and Deployment Wizard scans the application for external references and includes them in the setup package it creates. When run on the target system, the setup program copies all the required files onto the hard disk, and usually registers the Type libraries and DLLs. For more information about the ADE, refer to Chapter 18.