ACC2000: Differences Between Native and Linked Tables (209776)

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.