Can i use Access for this? A general access question

[nclay]

I recently lost a project i was working on, the excel document i had was used for cataloging and accessing a set of data files. I got a horrible virus yesterday and subsequently lost all my workbooks. I think part of the reason i got the virus is because i had macros enabled, either way i am looking for a better way now.

Is it possible to create a access program that will allow me to.
-Enter a section for a file.
-Enter a name for the file.


-Add the file to the database.
And then allow me to either search or pick from a list to access the file again in the future.

I dont actually need to be able to manipulate the file with access but i would like to be able to open the files containing folder using access.

My question is...
Could i use MS Access for this type of project?

Thanks!
nclay

[hertfordkc]

One quibble...you probably will want to include the files as attachments.

[CraigDolphin]

I'm unclear as to what 'enter a section for a file' means.

But, if you are simply wanting a database that can be used to track files such as documents, perhaps with a description about the document contents, then yes: such a database could easily be done using access. However, the specifics might be a little different than how you described it.

The approach I would take would be to have access allow you to add files by opening a windows open file dialog and letting the user select the file they wish to add to the database. There are numerous examples of code available on the web that can be used to achieve this.

The database would then create a record in the files table, and make a copy of the file which it would place in a subfolder that is located in the same folder as the database itself. You might also wish to have the database rename the file to match or incorporate the autonumber pk for the relevant record to ensure that you can never get the same filename in the subfolder twice.

The name of the copied file would then be stored in a text field. You could have access use vba to open the document from a command button. And naturally, you can allow the user to input a description in a memo field, and/or a title/name in a text field if you so desire.

In fact, here's an example of such a database that uses these concepts, which I threw together by modifying some old code I had created for another project.

You're welcome to use/modify it to suit your requirements.

[nclay]

Thank you very much. By section i mean i want to list files in two parts, by name and then by location for example. My next question is, if i were to transfer this database to a different system would this disrupt the links to the files?

[CraigDolphin]

Provided you copy the database mdb file and the subfolder together, and paste them into the same new folder location, the links should still work.