adding images & documents to database

[ksosnick]

I am creating a database that will store one image and one or more documents per record, in addition to other text and numerical data. What are the best field types to use for the images and the documents. I will need to print reports containing these fields.

Thank you so much.



Karen

[NTC]

in general images & documents should be filed in files outside the db - but linked to them from tables using either the hyperlink field type or the attachment field type (.accdb only).

you state that you will need to print reports containing these images - and upfront this must be thought thru correctly. A reasonably sized (bit size) image can be included in each record of a report without problem. You will find instructions on this in the textbooks. If that is all you need then this will work find. But documents (i.e. Word, excel, pdf) should not be attempted to be 'windowed' into Access as an image for a report. That will not be a good experience - and fundamentally will not work. The only work around would be somehow to trigger their print using their own application and simply collate them into the report manually.

In a typical construction project db application (not a report per se) - one might have dozens of linked documents - blue prints, scanned info, pics, Word docs, etc. Access acts like a central switchboard pointer to all these - - when you open an attachment it auto opens whatever native application they run in outside of Access, and you use the operating system to window your view of things. It works fairly well.

In an attachment heavy application it is important to carefully think thru where the attachments are to be filed for the long term so that all the links are not broken should one decide to rearrange the location of files/folders.

Hope this helps.

[June7]

Check out
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/205635
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...ffice.12).aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ac...005188817.aspx
http://books.google.com/books?id=0u5...erlink&f=false