This routine allows a hidden table to be appended to the Tables collection in an MDB file. I use the table name as a brand or stamp. During development, I change the brand when design changes are made to the MDB file. Access tables with Msys and Usys preambles are treated as hidden objects by the Jet database engine. The default setting is hidden. The brand starts with UsysBRAND.I prefer using the table name to using a record in a predefined table because it is more difficult for a casual user to delete a table than it is to delete a record from a table:

 Public MyDB As DatabasePublic Const BrandString = "UsysBRAND"Dim Dummy As IntegerDim outputVariantSet MyDB = OpenDatabase("testjet3db")'Some test callsDummy = MDBrand("clearbrands")Dummy = MDBrand("stamp", "TheTestProject")If MDBrand("read", outputVariant) Then	Debug.Print outputVariantEnd IfIf MDBrand("validate", "TheTestProject") Then	Debug.Print "ProjectTest"End IfPublic Function MDBrand(ByVal whichAction As String, _	Optional aString) As IntegerDim MyTableDef As TableDef, _	MyField As FieldDim TempString As StringDim i%	On Error GoTo MDBrandError	'Default	MDBrand = False	Select Case whichAction		Case "clearbrands"			For i% = MyDB.TableDefs.Count - 1 To 0 Step -1				If Mid$(LTrim$(MyDB._					TableDefs(i%).Name), _					1, Len(BrandString)) _					= BrandString Then					MyDB.TableDefs.Delete _						MyDB.TableDefs(i%).Name					DoEvents					DBEngine.Idle					DoEvents					MDBrand = True				End If			Next i%		Case "read"			For i% = MyDB.TableDefs._				Count - 1 To 0 Step -1				If Mid$(LTrim$(MyDB._					TableDefs(i%).Name), _					1, Len(BrandString)) _					= BrandString Then					MDBrand = True					aString = Mid$(LTrim$(MyDB.TableDefs_						(i%).Name), Len(BrandString) + 1)				End If			Next i%		Case "stamp"		TempString = BrandString & aString & CStr(Now)			If Len(TempString) > 40 Then				TempString = Mid$(TempString, 1, 40)			End If			Set MyTableDef = MyDB.CreateTableDef_				(TempString)			Set MyField = MyTableDef._				CreateField("MyDate", dbDate)			MyTableDef.Fields.Append MyField			MyDB.TableDefs.Append MyTableDef			Set MyField = Nothing			Set MyTableDef = Nothing			MDBrand = True		Case "validate"			For i% = MyDB.TableDefs.Count - 1 To 0 Step -1				If Mid$(LTrim$(MyDB.TableDefs(i%)._					Name), 1, Len(BrandString)) = _					BrandString Then					If InStr(MyDB.TableDefs(i%)._						Name, aString) Then						MDBrand = True				End If				End If			Next i%	End SelectMDBrandErrorExit:	Exit FunctionMDBrandError:	MDBrand = False	Resume MDBrandErrorExitEnd Function