Version Control Add-in (msaccess-vcs-addin)

for Microsoft Access Database Development

Supports Microsoft Access 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 365

About

Easily export your Microsoft Access Database objects for use with a version control system like GitHub or GitLab. Track design changes over time and collaborate with other developers on the same project.

This project is a Microsoft Access add-in with a ribbon toolbar (32- and 64-bit via twinBASIC COM) to export, build, and merge database objects as text source files.

Version 5 highlights: deterministic query export (.sql + .json), export format 5.0 file extensions, binary fast-save index, merge build, .env connection handling, optional MCP agent automation (off by default). See the wiki Version 5 Overview.

Development Focus

This add-in targets complex Access applications (hundreds of objects) with emphasis on:

• Intuitive UI — Options dialog, ribbon, conflict resolution (not only Immediate Window commands).
• Ribbon toolbar — 64-bit COM wrapper (twinBASIC) calling into the .accda add-in.
• Performance — Fast Save with vcs-index.idx; typical incremental exports complete in seconds.
• Broad object support — Forms, reports, queries, modules, table data, themes, ADP/SQL schema snapshots, and more. See Supported Objects.
• Build and merge — Full build from source or merge build into an existing database.
• Integrated automated testing — Built-in test runner you can use in your own database (TestAssert, Run Tests from the ribbon, tag/filter support, and JSON results), plus the add-in's own layered tests and query round-trip fixtures. See Testing on the wiki.
• AI-assisted development — Agent-friendly text source plus AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md guides and an optional MCP server (off by default) so AI coding agents can export, import, and run tests safely.
• ADP projects — Export server-side SQL object definitions where still maintained.

Getting Started

Download the add-in from Releases and run Version Control.accda to install. See the project wiki for installation, options, and migration guides.

Quick Start — install, export, and build in under five minutes.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md and the wiki Editing and Contributing page.

Development Roadmap

Ongoing work (not an exhaustive promise list):

• Version 5.x — Export format 5.0, query pipeline, binary index, MCP API (shipped; see wiki).
• Translations — Partial UI localization (English, Brazilian Portuguese); more locales welcome (Translation).
• Round-trip testing — Query regression corpus and harness live; expanding to forms, reports, modules (Regression Testing).
• CI/CD integration — Community-driven patterns via VCS API and GitHub Actions; full hosted pipeline out of scope for the add-in itself (issue #51).

Project History

Forked from timabell/msaccess-vcs-integration in 2015; extensively rewritten. Detached as a standalone project in 2023. Repository: joyfullservice/msaccess-vcs-addin.