Access 2007-Display image options

[lliefveld]

My end goal is to display an image for every row on a report and/or form. I reviewed the various options for that, and finally decided the best thing to do would be to put the images in a separate folder in my PC, and put the path for the image in a column in the main(primary) table.

In my form or report, I put an Image Frame, and put the ImagePath column in the Control Source. All is well and good.

However, I realize the inherent problem with having the full path in every single row, since I could move the image folder and I'd be hosed.

So, I created an Environment Variables table, and I have a column called ImageFolder. Then I changed the name of the column in the primary table to ImageName instead of ImagePath. My hope was to be able to concatenate ImagePath and ImageName as the Control Source on the form and report.

I couldn't figure out a way to do that, since they are in two different tables, with no direct relationship between the tables.

For the report, I created a workaround by creating a query of all the fields, including a field which concatenated the path and the ImageName. But since I use the form/subform to update the records, that wouldn't work for the form.

My next attempt was to try to add an ImagePath back again to the primary record, but to have it default to the value that's in the EnvironmentalVariables table. Can't figure out how to make it do that, either.

I'm probably making this much harder than it is, and there's probably a very simple way to do this I've never coded in VB, so I'm hoping to avoid that.



Thoughts?

[orange]

WHAT are you trying to achieve -- in plain English?

[lliefveld]

WHAT are you trying to achieve -- in plain English?

Hmm, I thought my first sentence said what I was trying to achieve: My end goal is to display an image for every row on a report and/or form.

Let me provide more detail, since that didn't seem to be sufficient.

I'm creating a database for myself (not anyone else) of plants that I either have or want to have, with various characteristics about them. This will hopefully serve as a one-stop shop, instead of looking in the millions of plant books that I have - this would have just the plants I'm interested in, either to purchase, planting requirements, ongoing maintenance, or usage.

So, for each plant, I want to have a picture of the plant, sometimes multiple pictures - perhaps of the flower, leaf, plant structure, etc. I need to be able to either print these out in a report, or to display in a 'form' on a screen... for instance, the 'data-entry' form that I've created to update basic information.

[orange]

Seems a reasonable goal. You want one or more images for a number of plants you record information about. You may have several pictures of the same plant (flower, roots,leaves...)
I think you were right with

I'm probably making this much harder than it is, and there's probably a very simple way to do this

.

I don't know that there is a simple way, but do agree your description Image frame, image path were clouding the underlying issue.

Build a data model; make sure all the info you want to retrieve is allowed for; normalize your data and set up relationships to provide referential integrity.

Here are some videos and links to assist in the process that should help put things into context.
Principles of relational Design http://forums.aspfree.com/attachment...2&d=1201055452
Entity Relationship Diagramming http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/T...lationship.zip

Video tutorials:
If you google for videos "normalization langer" you will find a series of free videos by Dr.Art Langer. These are quite good for learning by Watching/Listening rather than reading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiVq8M5DBkk Logical data modeling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGMwuOtRfqU Candidate key

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiB-BKCzS_I Normalization

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ47btpjAhA Normalization example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Wg2fZENK0 1st Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vji0pfliHZI 2nd Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH-QR7t-kMo 3rd Normal form

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1GaaGHHAqM E_R Diagramming

Complete set of tutorials on Acc2010.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...FoilxbUY0yUqZP

I have seen database for sports card collections where info about a player is held ina database table and a link(s) to a picture or pictures is also stored.
The photo(s) are stored external to the database. There are others --photo collections - where attributes of trhe photos is held in the database (time of year, rural/urban; scenery vs people vs cityscape....) and path to photos is stored in database.
Perhaps some googling will find you an example.

Good luck with your project.

[lliefveld]

Build a data model; make sure all the info you want to retrieve is allowed for; normalize your data and set up relationships to provide referential integrity.

I have seen database for sports card collections where info about a player is held ina database table and a link(s) to a picture or pictures is also stored.
The photo(s) are stored external to the database. There are others --photo collections - where attributes of trhe photos is held in the database (time of year, rural/urban; scenery vs people vs cityscape....) and path to photos is stored in database.
Perhaps some googling will find you an example.

Good luck with your project.

I have already built a relational database. That's not the issue. The issue is the method to link the photo, both with the main record itself, and to display it on the report. That's what my question was about. I've googled the methods to do that, and, as I mentioned, I AM storing the photos external to the database. I have the attributes stored in the database.

My question is specifically about how I'm storing the path, how to do that in a way that is less maintenance, and to be able to put that path into the form or report. That is exactly why I was so specific in my original question.

Perhaps there is no one on this forum that actually has experience with this, and therefore, cannot advise me in this much detail about a technical question.