Setting up MSAccess to ColdFusion

[LinuxLen]

I'm brand squeaky new to cold fusion and access, as well as Windows, as I'm a Linux dev.

I'm trying to connect Access to cold fusion. I've got as far as installing the accessdataengine.exe, and opened odbcad32.exe. I don't know what to write in the Data Source Name. the helpful instructions I'm following at https://yiengly.wordpress.com/2017/05/02/setting-up-an-ms-access-32-bit-data-source-in-coldfusion/ say use the exact name in the Cold Fusion Administrator. I appear to have missed something there. I've got Commandbox installed, but have no access to the adminitrator page. I've tried going to http://127.0.0.1:8500/CFIDE/administrator/index.cfm with the server running (as it says to do here: https://helpx.adobe.com/coldfusion/configuring-administering/administering-coldfusion.html ), but it says "page isn't working". I have no idea what I'm doing. Then to select the database, what am I looking for? If I even had any idea what name to type in, I can't locate the database, as I have no idea of what it might be or where. The instructions say it's some sort of access database with .mdb but there's nothing on any of my drives with that file extension. The database I created with Access in my home drive is .accdb. Is it that one?

So 3 basic issues: can't get in coldfusion administrator, name of data source name, what database to select.

Can anyone shed any light on it please? Please be gentle with me, Windows is not my forte. 

[BKBK]

What is your ColdFusion version and Update level? Do you realize ColdFusion no longer has support for Microsoft Access?

Nevertheless, you can use an Open Source driver, like UCanAccess. You will find more on that in the following posts:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/coldfusion-discussions/cf16-and-access-datasource/m-p/9341326 
https://community.adobe.com/t5/coldfusion-discussions/coldfusion-2021-and-access-database/m-p/117355... 

[LinuxLen · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, sorry for the delay I was away for the week. 

Ok, so I was only running CommandBox, which means there was no password set for coldfusion administrator, and the MSAccess connector is deprecated for it. I abandoned it and installed the adobe 2021 version, developer. Then I completely abandoned MSAccess, as I was advised I could use MySQL after all, thankfully! 

The UCanAccess driver definitely looks the part, so it's good to know it is still possible if I need it!

[BKBK]

@LinuxLen , whoever advised you to choose MySQL over MS Access gave you splendid advice.

[Charlie Arehart]

I see that HElen has solved her problem (by moving off of Access, which is a great idea), but in case anyone else may find thi sthread in the future, I would make a clarification on BKBK's comment.

I don't think it's quite right to say that CF "no longer had support for Access". First, the Access datasource type is still offered in the CF Admin (when adding a DSN). Second, the related ODBC service is still offered as an option when installing CF (using the full installer, not the zip installer). Granted, Access is not listed in the systems support matrix. It may be that it was marked deprecated at some point, though I don't recall that.

But while folks have for years had trouble with getting an Access DSN to work, I'm finding that it does work in CF2021. In case someone else may try it, I will note that the CF2021 installers were updated in Sept 2021, and it's with that LATER installer that I found things worked (the ODBC services and an Access DB).

And none of this denies the value of the ucanaccess JDBC driver that BKBK mentioned. I'm sure that would help many

Again, though, I totally appreciate the contention many have that folks should get OFF of Access. I don't bring this up to "enable" people, but simply that I could see someone asking (in response to the comment above) why they DO still see Access listed in the CF Admin DSN page, and I suspect many have not noticed the improvement regarding ODBC services in the new CF2021 installer. (ODBC is also something folks should be leaning away from.)

Just thought it perhaps worth sharing while the subject has come up.

[BKBK]

I see that HElen has solved her problem (by moving off of Access, which is a great idea), but in case anyone else may find thi sthread in the future, I would make a clarification on BKBK's comment.

I don't think it's quite right to say that CF "no longer had support for Access". 

By @Charlie Arehart

Here we go again. Do you first have to dis me as a bridge to saying whatever you want to say?

In any case, you are wrong. What you call clarification here is a misinterpretation of what I said. 

When I say

"ColdFusion no longer has support for Microsoft Access?"

I simply mean that Microsoft Access is no longer in the list of "Databases Supported" by ColdFusion:

https://helpx.adobe.com/pdf/coldfusion2016-support-matrix.pdf 

https://helpx.adobe.com/pdf/coldfusion2018-support-matrix.pdf 
https://helpx.adobe.com/pdf/coldfusion2021-support-matrix.pdf 

The list is official and is there for anyone to check.

[Charlie Arehart]

Dude, I said that. Why don't you read and consider all that I say? You seem to cherry pick things to either focus on or ignore. I honestly don't get it. It's bordering on toxic. 

[BKBK]

LinuxLen has, wisely, chosen MySQL instead of MS Access. I have made the point I wished to make, and shall leave it there.

[Charlie Arehart]

Which again I'd already acknowledged. You wrote as if I missed that point. I did not: indeed I intentionally reiterated that good point of yours. But, your reply here just further proves MY last point.

You can "leave it there", but I wish you'd take these observations to heart, for the sake of the forums. Otherwise, this is getting close to compelling me to just stop participating in the forums entirely. (And yes, to those who may see this, this issue goes WELL beyond this thread. It's just an example of it, on multiple levels, and one that's pushing me to the edge of my patience.) 

[BKBK]

Charlie, be assured that I pay attention to observations in the forum. But I ignore some, after giving them due thought and consideration.

[BKBK]

Sorry, @LinuxLen . I see that I at one point called you Helen. I have corrected it.