How to create a new .MDB file with php? - php

Question

In our in house system, we have csv & xls files generated for users (phpexcel) from our MySQL database, but my boss is asking if is's possible to create a mdb file.
I've never come across any sample on creating a new MDB file on the fly, and I wonder if it's possible. I'm not an expert programmer by any chance, but I can manage if anyone could guide me on how I should proceed.
We're trying to reduce user load/mistakes by providing them with mdb instead of CSV that they have to import into Access. Currently they have to import over 100 csv files into Access.
Thank you.

Answer 1

You can use COM for accessing the MDB driver, There is a simple class located at phpclasses that acts as a wrapper for this, you can either use it for inspiration or port it directly, either way it's perfectly possible:
Here is the class, the source link is provided below:
<?php
class mdb
{
var $RS = 0;
var $ADODB = 0;
var $RecordsAffected;
var $strProvider = 'Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0';
var $strMode = 'Mode=ReadWrite';
var $strPSI = 'Persist Security Info=False';
var $strDataSource = '';
var $strConn = '';
var $strRealPath = '';
var $recordcount = 0;
var $ok = false;
/**
* Constructor needs path to .mdb file
*
* #param string $dsn = path to *.mdb file
* #return boolean success
*/
function mdb( $dsn='Please enter DataSource!' )
{
$this->strRealPath = realpath( $dsn );
if( strlen( $this->strRealPath ) > 0 )
{
$this->strDataSource = 'Data Source='.$this->strRealPath;
$result = true;
}
else
{
echo "<br>mdb::mdb() File not found $dsn<br>";
$result = false;
}
$this->RecordsAffected = new VARIANT();
$this->open();
} // eof constructor mdb()
function open( )
{
if( strlen( $this->strRealPath ) > 0 )
{
$this->strConn =
$this->strProvider.';'.
$this->strDataSource.';'.
$this->strMode.';'.
$this->strPSI;
$this->ADODB = new COM( 'ADODB.Connection' );
if( $this->ADODB )
{
$this->ADODB->open( $this->strConn );
$result = true;
}
else
{
echo '<br>mdb::open() ERROR with ADODB.Connection<br>'.$this->strConn;
$result = false;
}
}
$this->ok = $result;
return $result;
} // eof open()
/**
* Execute SQL-Statement
* #param string $strSQL = sql statement
* #param boolean $getrecordcount = true when a record count is wanted
*/
function execute( $strSQL, $getrecordcount = false )
{
$this->RS = $this->ADODB->execute( $strSQL, &$this->RecordsAffected );
if( $getrecordcount == true )
{
$this->RS->MoveFirst();
$this->recordcount = 0;
# brute force loop
while( $this->RS->EOF == false )
{
$this->recordcount++;
$this->RS->MoveNext();
}
$this->RS->MoveFirst();
}
} // eof execute()
function eof()
{
return $this->RS->EOF;
} // eof eof()
function movenext( )
{
$this->RS->MoveNext();
} // eof movenext()
function movefirst()
{
$this->RS->MoveFirst();
} // eof movefirst()
function close()
{
#$this->RS->Close(); // Generates a warning when without "#"
$this->RS=null;
#$this->ADODB->Close();
$this->ADODB=null;
} // eof close()
function fieldvalue( $fieldname )
{
return $this->RS->Fields[$fieldname]->value;
} // eof fieldvalue()
function fieldname( $fieldnumber )
{
return $this->RS->Fields[$fieldnumber]->name;
} // eof fieldname()
function fieldcount( )
{
return $this->RS->Fields->Count;
} // eof fieldcount()
} // eoc mdb
?>
And an example:
include 'class_mdb.php';
$mdb = new mdb('mymdbfile.mdb'); // your own mdb filename required
$mdb->execute('select * from table'); // your own table in the mdb file
#
# first example: using fieldnames
#
while( !$mdb->eof() )
{
echo $mdb->fieldvalue('description'); // using your own fields name
echo ' = ';
echo $mdb->fieldvalue( 1 ); // using the fields fieldnumber
echo '<br>';
$mdb->movenext();
}
echo '<br><hr><br>';
#
# Going back to the first recordset for the second example
#
$mdb->movefirst();
#
# This works, too: Make each Field an object. The values change
# when the data pointer advances with movenext().
#
$url = $mdb->RS->Fields(1);
$bez = $mdb->RS->Fields(2);
$kat = $mdb->RS->Fields(3);
while( !$mdb->eof() )
{
# works!
echo $bez->value;
echo ' = ';
echo $url->value;
echo '<br>';
$mdb->movenext();
}
$mdb->close();
Source: http://www.phpclasses.org/package/1700-PHP-Access-Microsoft-Access-mdb-database-files.html

Answer 2

To create a new empty Microsoft Access Database we can use ADOX.
The code below creates an empty Test.mdb file in c:\
$adox_catalog = new COM("ADOX.Catalog");
$adox_catalog->create('Provider = Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source=c:\Test.mdb');
$adodb_conection = $adox_catalog->activeconnection();