MS Access: how to compact current database in VBA

Question

Pretty simple question, I know.

Answer 1

If you don't wish to use compact on close (eg, because the front-end mdb is a robot program that runs continually), and you don't want to create a separate mdb just for compacting, consider using a cmd file.

I let my robot.mdb check its own size:

FileLen(CurrentDb.Name))

If its size exceeds 1 GB, it creates a cmd file like this ...

Dim f As Integer
Dim Folder As String
Dim Access As String
    'select Access in the correct PF directory (my robot.mdb runs in 32-bit MSAccess, on 32-bit and 64-bit machines)
    If Dir("C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE") > "" Then
        Access = """C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE"""
    Else
        Access = """C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE"""
    End If
    Folder = ExtractFileDir(CurrentDb.Name)
    f = FreeFile
    Open Folder & "comrep.cmd" For Output As f
    'wait until robot.mdb closes (ldb file is gone), then compact robot.mdb
    Print #f, ":checkldb1"
    Print #f, "if exist " & Folder & "robot.ldb goto checkldb1"
    Print #f, Access & " " & Folder & "robot.mdb /compact"
    'wait until the robot mdb closes, then start it
    Print #f, ":checkldb2"
    Print #f, "if exist " & Folder & "robot.ldb goto checkldb2"
    Print #f, Access & " " & Folder & "robot.mdb"
    Close f

... launches the cmd file ...

Shell ExtractFileDir(CurrentDb.Name) & "comrep.cmd"

... and shuts down ...

DoCmd.Quit

Next, the cmd file compacts and restarts robot.mdb.