Storing and Renaming Files Outside of Access

[JohnSmith]

I am using Access 2010.


Regarding storing files (video, image, pdf, etc) in Access.
I do not want to embed these files to the database.
The idea is to store these files in another location and rename the file name to my own naming convention.


I would like functionality like prompting the user to "attach" the file to the record.
Similar to how you would send an attachment in an email.
The user would locate the current location of the file to be sent.
User would then submit the information along with the pertinant information needed on the form.


On the backend.


Access would then COPY the file to a designated location of the develper's choosing (another part of the harddrive) and rename the file (developer's file naming convention).
The only information stored in Access would be the location of the file and new file name in which Access rename it to.


Just need some guidance on where I should start.

[ranman256]

have a button on a form ,and a textbox: txtFilename (textbox is bound to a field to store the path)
user clicks button to pick a filename to store in a text box.
btn click code:

sub btnPickFile_click()
   vRet = UserPick1File("c:\folder\")
   if not IsNull(vREt) then txtFilename   = vRet
end sub

put this code into a MODULE for user to pick the file

Public Function UserPick1File(Optional pvPath)
Dim strTable As String
Dim strFilePath As String
Dim sDialog As String, sDecr  As String, sExt As String

'===================
'YOU MUST ADD REFERENCE : Microsoft Office xx.0 Object Library, in vbe menu, TOOLS, REFERENCES
'===================
With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)     'msoFileDialogSaveAs
    .AllowMultiSelect = False
    .Title = "Locate a file to Import"
    .ButtonName = "Import"
    .Filters.Clear
     '.Filters.Add "CSV Files", "*.csv"
     '.Filters.Add "Excel Files", "*.xls;*.xlsx"
    .Filters.Add "All Files", "*.*"
    .InitialFileName = pvPath
    .InitialView = msoFileDialogViewList    'msoFileDialogViewThumbnail
    
        If .Show = 0 Then
           'There is a problem
           Exit Function
        End If
    
    'Save the first file selected
    UserPick1File = Trim(.SelectedItems(1))
End With
End Function

users may want to open the document.
usage:

sub btnOpenFile_click()
  OpenNativeApp ME.txtBox
end sub

Paste this code into the module too, once you save the path,
This code will open ANY file in its native application.
In a form put the field and a button to open it.
if the file is myFile.pdf, will open it in acrobat
if the file is myFile.doc, it will open the doc in Word
if its just a file path, it will open in file explorer.
etc..

'Attribute VB_Name = "modNativeApp"
'Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpszOp As String, ByVal lpszFile As String, ByVal lpszParams As String, ByVal lpszDir As String, ByVal FsShowCmd As Long) As Long

Private Declare Function GetDesktopWindow Lib "user32" () As Long
Const SW_SHOWNORMAL = 1
Const SE_ERR_FNF = 2&
Const SE_ERR_PNF = 3&
Const SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED = 5&
Const SE_ERR_OOM = 8&
Const SE_ERR_DLLNOTFOUND = 32&
Const SE_ERR_SHARE = 26&
Const SE_ERR_ASSOCINCOMPLETE = 27&
Const SE_ERR_DDETIMEOUT = 28&
Const SE_ERR_DDEFAIL = 29&
Const SE_ERR_DDEBUSY = 30&
Const SE_ERR_NOASSOC = 31&
Const ERROR_BAD_FORMAT = 11&


Public Sub OpenNativeApp(ByVal psDocName As String)
Dim r As Long, msg As String

r = StartDoc(psDocName)
If r <= 32 Then
    'There was an error
    Select Case r
        Case SE_ERR_FNF
            msg = "File not found"
        Case SE_ERR_PNF
            msg = "Path not found"
        Case SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED
            msg = "Access denied"
        Case SE_ERR_OOM
            msg = "Out of memory"
        Case SE_ERR_DLLNOTFOUND
            msg = "DLL not found"
        Case SE_ERR_SHARE
            msg = "A sharing violation occurred"
        Case SE_ERR_ASSOCINCOMPLETE
            msg = "Incomplete or invalid file association"
        Case SE_ERR_DDETIMEOUT
            msg = "DDE Time out"
        Case SE_ERR_DDEFAIL
            msg = "DDE transaction failed"
        Case SE_ERR_DDEBUSY
            msg = "DDE busy"
        Case SE_ERR_NOASSOC
            msg = "No association for file extension"
        Case ERROR_BAD_FORMAT
            msg = "Invalid EXE file or error in EXE image"
        Case Else
            msg = "Unknown error"
    End Select
'    MsgBox msg
End If
End Sub


Private Function StartDoc(psDocName As String) As Long
Dim Scr_hDC As Long

Scr_hDC = GetDesktopWindow()
StartDoc = ShellExecute(Scr_hDC, "Open", psDocName, "", "C:\", SW_SHOWNORMAL)
End Function