Microsoft KB Archive/209776

= ACC2000: Differences Between Native and Linked Tables =

Article ID: 209776

Article Last Modified on 7/16/2004

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q209776



Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.



SUMMARY
Linked tables, such as dBASE, Paradox, Btrieve, FoxPro, or external Access tables, are different from native Access tables in four ways:  In the Database window, the icons for linked tables contain black arrows. If you try to open a linked table in Design view, you receive the following message.

Table 'xxxxx' is a linked table with some properties that can't be modified. Do you want to open it anyway?

 When you delete a linked table, its contents are not deleted. Only the table entry is deleted. You can define relationships between linked tables and native Access tables, or between linked non-Microsoft Access tables and native Access tables, but you cannot enforce such relationships.

You can create relationships between a linked Microsoft Access table and a native Microsoft Access table.

Special Note about Microsoft Access Projects
Linked tables are not to be confused with Access projects, which function as a direct interface with Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 and 7.0 databases. Access projects have significant differences from linked tables. For instance, deleting a table in the Access project interface actually deletes the table on the server.

