OLE Object- the real question

Yah, it's up to 40 watts now! Not quite room
temperature. But so appreciate the hand-holding!
My bad- I messed up my form by not saving one of the
modules when it asked me (several times), and I had to
create the form over- forgetting the on_current:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath

Much better now- I have picture!! (it was so exciting!)
but not quite right.

That very code:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
is giving me grief- run-time error '94' invalid use of
null.

I took the "." vs. "!" advice (nice), but didn't need to
use Me.txtPath=strFilename. But I did check it out and
liked the idea so I created a field to show the picture
path- handy when we need to update the picture. Anyway,
Record1 has a path and a picture. When I navigate to
Record2, I get the error, see that there is no path, yet
it has Record1's picture. Strange. I click "end" rather
than "debug". Go on to Record 3 (no error getting there
because Record3 has a path and a picture). Record4 (error-
no path/picture), click "end" and all the rest of my
records have no path but Record3's picture (the last
record with a picture). So, code is not happy when there
is no picture attached to the Record, makes up it's own
picture, and yells at me before I even have a chance to
attach the picture. What did I do wrong now? I'm feeling
it. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Or posts have crossed each other. If you look at my
previous (to this post)
post, you need to change the line where it checks to see
if strFilename =
"Cancelled" to just checking if strFilename= "". The new
functions don't
return "Cancelled" if you cancel the browser. Because
it's checking for
"Cancelled" and not seeing it, it continues the code and
tries to store an
empty string in your table.

It looks like the little lightbulb over your head is
getting brighter and
brighter!

"Michelle" wrote in
message
...
OK, now's the time to think not just paste!
Here's what I have:

Private Sub ImagePicture_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

'strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the file")
strFilename = GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If

'Me!FilePath = strFilename
Me!ImagePath = strFilename
'lngID = Me!ItemID
lngID = Me!AnimalsID
'strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
strFind = "[AnimalsID]=" & lngID

Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

End Sub

I was getting an error message that (I think) strFind
was
zero length. But now I'm getting nothing- no error
message, no picture. Wait here's the error:
run-time error '3315' Field 'Animals.ImagePath' cannot
be
a zero-length string.

I did make sure that ImagePath is in the record source
and
that the text field is 50 characters to handle the path.

I still must be doing something wrong. So close!
Thanks,
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Michelle,
Long ago, I was given a bunch of code which was written
back in the Access97
days, which uses calls to the Windows components to open
the file dialog.
I'm pasting it here, but be prepared for a long bunch of
code! Just copy
what's between the ***start copy*** and ***end copy***.
Paste it into a new
module; mine was called modFileRequestor...
For your image_click event use this code instead of what
I had befo
GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

As for confusing names like table "Animals" and
form "Animals", I alway put
a three-character identifier on all my objects--
tblAnimals or frmAnimals or
qryAnimals, etc. Just for clarity, you might want to
rename your field in
the table to "ImagePath", and maybe your image control
on
the form to
"imgPicture". You shouldn't have to change the image
property from
"embedded"; it won't matter since it's not being saved
with the form. If
you still get the error about "can't find the field..."
double-check your
form's recordsource to make sure the new path field is
in
there.

'***start copy***
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long
pidlRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As String
lpszTitle As String
ulFlags As Long
lpfn As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Type tagOPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
strFilter As String
strCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
strFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
strFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
strInitialDir As String
strTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
strDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetOpenFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME) As
Boolean
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetSaveFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME) As
Boolean
Private Declare Function CommDlgExtendedError
Lib "comdlg32.dll" () As Long
'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As Long,
_
ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As
BROWSEINFO) _
As Long

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1
'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Const ahtOFN_READONLY = &H1
Private Const ahtOFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT = &H2
Private Const ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY = &H4
Private Const ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR = &H8
Private Const ahtOFN_SHOWHELP = &H10
Private Const ahtOFN_NOVALIDATE = &H100
Private Const ahtOFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT = &H200
Private Const ahtOFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT = &H400
Private Const ahtOFN_PATHMUSTEXIST = &H800
Private Const ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST = &H1000
Private Const ahtOFN_CREATEPROMPT = &H2000
Private Const ahtOFN_SHAREAWARE = &H4000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOREADONLYRETURN = &H8000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOTESTFILECREATE = &H10000
Private Const ahtOFN_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H20000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOLONGNAMES = &H40000
Private Const ahtOFN_EXPLORER = &H80000
Private Const ahtOFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS = &H100000
Private Const ahtOFN_LONGNAMES = &H200000

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Terry Kreft.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
'Code courtesy of
'Terry Kreft

Function BrowseFolder(szDialogTitle As String) As String
Dim x As Long, bi As BROWSEINFO, dwIList As Long
Dim szPath As String, wPos As Integer

With bi
.hOwner = hWndAccessApp
.lpszTitle = szDialogTitle
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With

dwIList = SHBrowseForFolder(bi)
szPath = Space$(512)
x = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal dwIList, ByVal szPath)

If x Then
wPos = InStr(szPath, Chr(0))
BrowseFolder = Left$(szPath, wPos - 1)
Else
BrowseFolder = vbNullString
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Ken Getz.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
' Code courtesy of:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' Waite Group Press, 1996

Function GetOpenFile(Optional varDirectory As Variant, _
Optional varTitleForDialog As Variant, Optional
varFiletype As Variant)
As Variant
' Here's an example that gets an Access database name.
Dim strFilter As String
Dim lngFlags As Long
Dim varFileName As Variant
' Specify that the chosen file must already exist,
' don't change directories when you're done
' Also, don't bother displaying
' the read-only box. It'll only confuse people.
lngFlags = ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST Or _
ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY Or
ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR
If IsMissing(varDirectory) Then
varDirectory = ""
End If
If IsMissing(varTitleForDialog) Then
varTitleForDialog = ""
End If

' Define the filter string and allocate space in
the "c"
' string Duplicate this line with changes as
necessary for
' more file templates.
strFilter = ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter, _
"Pictures
(*.jpg,*.bmp)", "*.jpg;*.bmp")
' Now actually call to get the file name.
varFileName = ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
OpenFile:=True, _
InitialDir:=varDirectory, _
Filter:=strFilter, _
Flags:=lngFlags, _
DialogTitle:=varTitleForDialog)
If Not IsNull(varFileName) Then
varFileName = TrimNull(varFileName)
End If
GetOpenFile = varFileName
End Function

Function ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
Optional ByRef Flags As Variant, _
Optional ByVal InitialDir As Variant, _
Optional ByVal Filter As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FilterIndex As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DefaultExt As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FileName As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DialogTitle As Variant, _
Optional ByVal hwnd As Variant, _
Optional ByVal OpenFile As Variant) As
Variant
' This is the entry point you'll use to call the common
' file open/save dialog. The parameters are listed
' below, and all are optional.
'
' In:
' Flags: one or more of the ahtOFN_* constants, OR'd
together.
' InitialDir: the directory in which to first look
' Filter: a set of file filters, set up by calling
' AddFilterItem. See examples.
' FilterIndex: 1-based integer indicating which filter
' set to use, by default (1 if unspecified)
' DefaultExt: Extension to use if the user doesn't enter
one.
' Only useful on file saves.
' FileName: Default value for the file name text box.
' DialogTitle: Title for the dialog.
' hWnd: parent window handle
' OpenFile: Boolean(True=Open File/False=Save As)
' Out:
' Return Value: Either Null or the selected filename
Dim OFN As tagOPENFILENAME
Dim strFilename As String
Dim strFileTitle As String
Dim fResult As Boolean
' Give the dialog a caption title.
If IsMissing(InitialDir) Then InitialDir = CurDir
If IsMissing(Filter) Then Filter = ""
If IsMissing(FilterIndex) Then FilterIndex = 1
If IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = 0&
If IsMissing(DefaultExt) Then DefaultExt = ""
If IsMissing(FileName) Then FileName = ""
If IsMissing(DialogTitle) Then DialogTitle = ""
If IsMissing(hwnd) Then hwnd =
Application.hWndAccessApp
If IsMissing(OpenFile) Then OpenFile = True
' Allocate string space for the returned strings.
strFilename = Left(FileName & String(256, 0), 256)
strFileTitle = String(256, 0)
' Set up the data structure before you call the
function
With OFN
.lStructSize = Len(OFN)
.hwndOwner = hwnd
.strFilter = Filter
.nFilterIndex = FilterIndex
.strFile = strFilename
.nMaxFile = Len(strFilename)
.strFileTitle = strFileTitle
.nMaxFileTitle = Len(strFileTitle)
.strTitle = DialogTitle
.Flags = Flags
.strDefExt = DefaultExt
.strInitialDir = InitialDir
' Didn't think most people would want to deal
with
' these options.
.hInstance = 0
'.strCustomFilter = ""
'.nMaxCustFilter = 0
.lpfnHook = 0
'New for NT 4.0
.strCustomFilter = String(255, 0)
.nMaxCustFilter = 255
End With
' This will pass the desired data structure to the
' Windows API, which will in turn it uses to display
' the Open/Save As Dialog.
If OpenFile Then
fResult = aht_apiGetOpenFileName(OFN)
Else
fResult = aht_apiGetSaveFileName(OFN)
End If

' The function call filled in the strFileTitle
member
' of the structure. You'll have to write special
code
' to retrieve that if you're interested.
If fResult Then
' You might care to check the Flags member of
the
' structure to get information about the chosen
file.
' In this example, if you bothered to pass in a
' value for Flags, we'll fill it in with the
outgoing
' Flags value.
If Not IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = OFN.Flags
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = TrimNull(OFN.strFile)
Else
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = vbNullString
End If
End Function

Function ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter As String, _
strDescription As String, Optional varItem As
Variant) As String
' Tack a new chunk onto the file filter.
' That is, take the old value, stick onto it the
description,
' (like "Databases"), a null character, the skeleton
' (like "*.mdb;*.mda") and a final null character.

If IsMissing(varItem) Then varItem = "*.*"
ahtAddFilterItem = strFilter & _
strDescription & vbNullChar & _
varItem & vbNullChar
End Function

Private Function TrimNull(ByVal strItem As String) As
String
Dim intPos As Integer
intPos = InStr(strItem, vbNullChar)
If intPos 0 Then
TrimNull = Left(strItem, intPos - 1)
Else
TrimNull = strItem
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'***end copy***


"Michelle" wrote in
message
.. .
Mark, Thanks! I appreciate the detail steps. And
it's
embarrassing when I can't follow them!
I'm getting an error message: run-time error '2465'
Microsoft Access can't find the field 'FilePath'
referred
to in your expresion. I can't get from design view to
form view because of it.

On my Animals table I added FilePath as a text field.
And
in my Animals form (confusing names, I know) I added
the
picture (which I had to put a box around so I could
find
it!), deleted the actual picture/path and called the
field: ImageControl. Should the picture type
be "linked"
rather than "embedded"?

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me!FilePath
End Sub

I don't understand why this didn't work.

So I commented it out, and then I get a compile error:
expected variable or procedure, not module
and remembered to name the module: GetTheFilenamemdl
rather than GetTheFilename. See! I can be taught.

Now, it's not liking
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
I've never seen FileDialog. This must be what you
mentioned as tweaking the file browser function as I'm
using Access 2000. So I took a peek in the library
and
I
have these checked (and in this order):
VB for applications
Microsoft Access 9.0 object library
OLE Automation
Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library
Microsoft ActiveX Sata Objects 2.1 library

Am I salvagable? Thanks for your help, Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Hi Michelle,

For testing, you can certainly just type in the full
path
(don't need
quotes) to the image (don't forget the file's
extension
like Dog1.jpg). On
the form, add an image and select any old image from
the
wizard. Once the
control is on the form, you can go to properties and
erase the file path in
the "Picture" property. Now you have a blank
(unbound)
image control.

In my test form I whipped up to refresh my memory, I
just
used the default
name of the control, which happened to be "Image7".
Since the file path is
saved with the record, you'll always get the correct
image for the record
being displayed.

When your user clicks on the image (or blank image box
if
there's no image
assigned yet), the full filename with path is stored
in
the FilePath field
for that record and the form's recordset is requeried
to
update the image.
The ImageControl's OnClick event:
'*********code start************
Private Sub ImageControl_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the file")
If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If
Me!FilePath = strFilename
lngID = Me!ItemID
strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

'********code end************

In a regular module (for the file requestor),
'********code start********
Function GetTheFilename(strTitle As String) As String
Dim strFilename As String
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant

On Error GoTo Err_GetFilename
Set dlgFilePick = Application.FileDialog
(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With dlgFilePick
.Title = strTitle
'Let user select only one file
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
'The user pressed the action button.
GetTheFilename = .SelectedItems(1)

Else
'The user pressed Cancel.
GetTheFilename = "Cancelled"
End If
End With

Exit_GetFilename:
Set dlgFilePick = Nothing
Exit Function
Err_GetFilename:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & ": " &
Err.Description, ,
"GetTheFilename"
Resume Exit_GetFilename
End Function
'********code end************

I'm using Access2003, so the file browser function
might
need tweaking for
older versions.
Hope this helps!

"Michelle" wrote
in
message
.. .
I like the sound of that! I only have 5 pictures so
far
and they are slow to load.

I want to try it! I created a new text field
(FilePath)
in
table Animals. My file path for the 1st picture is
C:\My Documents\My Pictures\Dog1
so I enter the above path in the Animals table,
FilePath
field for Dog1's record. Correct? Do I need the
file
path in quotes?

How do I create an unbound image control on the
form? I
see the tool bar offers "image", "unbound object
frame"
and a "bound object frame"- all of which want me to
select
the image now. What am I missing to get an unbound
image
control?

I'm confused about: Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath
Does Image7 mean something? Is that the name of
your
image in the record? If so, how does the record
know
which picture to show for which record- must be by
the
file path name...

You said "When you click the image control, the user
browses to the picture they want to assign to the
current
record."- that sounds cool! So I set up the unbound
image
control once in the table and then the user gets to
choose
the picture, so that the user is never in the table-
correct? That would be excellent!

Thanks for the guidance!
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
I used to have an ID badge database that stored the
digital pictures in an
OLE field. There was an OLE control on the form
which,
when clicked, would
let you browse to select the file. With only 100 or
so
employee records, the
database bloated to over 200Mb. I have since
modified
the database to get
rid of the OLE field and control. I'm now storing
the
path to the picture
in a text field called FilePath and the database is
under
200Kb. I've got
an unbound image control on the form, and in the
form's
OnCurrent event I
have:

Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath

which will change the picture to match the picture
you
assigned to the
current record. When you click the image control,
the
user browses to the
picture they want to assign to the current record.
It
works with both JPG
and BMP files.

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
...
Sorry about that!
I have form that I want to show a digital camera
picture.
I have the table field set up as an OLE Object.

Can I load the picture from the form, or do I need
to
go
to the table, find the correct record for the
field,
select Insert object and the browse to the correct
digital
camera picture? There's got to be an easier way
for
end-
users!

I see that bitmap is an option, but my digital
camera
pictures are jpg. How do I upload these?

Thanks,
Mich


.




.



.



.

All you need to do is check to see if there's a path stored, and if not just
set the Picture property to nothing:

If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

"Michelle" wrote in message
...
Yah, it's up to 40 watts now! Not quite room
temperature. But so appreciate the hand-holding!
My bad- I messed up my form by not saving one of the
modules when it asked me (several times), and I had to
create the form over- forgetting the on_current:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath

Much better now- I have picture!! (it was so exciting!)
but not quite right.

That very code:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
is giving me grief- run-time error '94' invalid use of
null.

I took the "." vs. "!" advice (nice), but didn't need to
use Me.txtPath=strFilename. But I did check it out and
liked the idea so I created a field to show the picture
path- handy when we need to update the picture. Anyway,
Record1 has a path and a picture. When I navigate to
Record2, I get the error, see that there is no path, yet
it has Record1's picture. Strange. I click "end" rather
than "debug". Go on to Record 3 (no error getting there
because Record3 has a path and a picture). Record4 (error-
no path/picture), click "end" and all the rest of my
records have no path but Record3's picture (the last
record with a picture). So, code is not happy when there
is no picture attached to the Record, makes up it's own
picture, and yells at me before I even have a chance to
attach the picture. What did I do wrong now? I'm feeling
it. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Or posts have crossed each other. If you look at my
previous (to this post)
post, you need to change the line where it checks to see
if strFilename =
"Cancelled" to just checking if strFilename= "". The new
functions don't
return "Cancelled" if you cancel the browser. Because
it's checking for
"Cancelled" and not seeing it, it continues the code and
tries to store an
empty string in your table.

It looks like the little lightbulb over your head is
getting brighter and
brighter!

"Michelle" wrote in
message
...
OK, now's the time to think not just paste!
Here's what I have:

Private Sub ImagePicture_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

'strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the file")
strFilename = GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If

'Me!FilePath = strFilename
Me!ImagePath = strFilename
'lngID = Me!ItemID
lngID = Me!AnimalsID
'strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
strFind = "[AnimalsID]=" & lngID

Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

End Sub

I was getting an error message that (I think) strFind
was
zero length. But now I'm getting nothing- no error
message, no picture. Wait here's the error:
run-time error '3315' Field 'Animals.ImagePath' cannot
be
a zero-length string.

I did make sure that ImagePath is in the record source
and
that the text field is 50 characters to handle the path.

I still must be doing something wrong. So close!
Thanks,
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Michelle,
Long ago, I was given a bunch of code which was written
back in the Access97
days, which uses calls to the Windows components to open
the file dialog.
I'm pasting it here, but be prepared for a long bunch of
code! Just copy
what's between the ***start copy*** and ***end copy***.
Paste it into a new
module; mine was called modFileRequestor...
For your image_click event use this code instead of what
I had befo
GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

As for confusing names like table "Animals" and
form "Animals", I alway put
a three-character identifier on all my objects--
tblAnimals or frmAnimals or
qryAnimals, etc. Just for clarity, you might want to
rename your field in
the table to "ImagePath", and maybe your image control
on
the form to
"imgPicture". You shouldn't have to change the image
property from
"embedded"; it won't matter since it's not being saved
with the form. If
you still get the error about "can't find the field..."
double-check your
form's recordsource to make sure the new path field is
in
there.

'***start copy***
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long
pidlRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As String
lpszTitle As String
ulFlags As Long
lpfn As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Type tagOPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
strFilter As String
strCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
strFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
strFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
strInitialDir As String
strTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
strDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetOpenFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME) As
Boolean
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetSaveFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME) As
Boolean
Private Declare Function CommDlgExtendedError
Lib "comdlg32.dll" () As Long
'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As Long,
_
ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As
BROWSEINFO) _
As Long

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1
'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Const ahtOFN_READONLY = &H1
Private Const ahtOFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT = &H2
Private Const ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY = &H4
Private Const ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR = &H8
Private Const ahtOFN_SHOWHELP = &H10
Private Const ahtOFN_NOVALIDATE = &H100
Private Const ahtOFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT = &H200
Private Const ahtOFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT = &H400
Private Const ahtOFN_PATHMUSTEXIST = &H800
Private Const ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST = &H1000
Private Const ahtOFN_CREATEPROMPT = &H2000
Private Const ahtOFN_SHAREAWARE = &H4000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOREADONLYRETURN = &H8000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOTESTFILECREATE = &H10000
Private Const ahtOFN_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H20000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOLONGNAMES = &H40000
Private Const ahtOFN_EXPLORER = &H80000
Private Const ahtOFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS = &H100000
Private Const ahtOFN_LONGNAMES = &H200000

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Terry Kreft.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
'Code courtesy of
'Terry Kreft

Function BrowseFolder(szDialogTitle As String) As String
Dim x As Long, bi As BROWSEINFO, dwIList As Long
Dim szPath As String, wPos As Integer

With bi
.hOwner = hWndAccessApp
.lpszTitle = szDialogTitle
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With

dwIList = SHBrowseForFolder(bi)
szPath = Space$(512)
x = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal dwIList, ByVal szPath)

If x Then
wPos = InStr(szPath, Chr(0))
BrowseFolder = Left$(szPath, wPos - 1)
Else
BrowseFolder = vbNullString
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Ken Getz.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
' Code courtesy of:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' Waite Group Press, 1996

Function GetOpenFile(Optional varDirectory As Variant, _
Optional varTitleForDialog As Variant, Optional
varFiletype As Variant)
As Variant
' Here's an example that gets an Access database name.
Dim strFilter As String
Dim lngFlags As Long
Dim varFileName As Variant
' Specify that the chosen file must already exist,
' don't change directories when you're done
' Also, don't bother displaying
' the read-only box. It'll only confuse people.
lngFlags = ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST Or _
ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY Or
ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR
If IsMissing(varDirectory) Then
varDirectory = ""
End If
If IsMissing(varTitleForDialog) Then
varTitleForDialog = ""
End If

' Define the filter string and allocate space in
the "c"
' string Duplicate this line with changes as
necessary for
' more file templates.
strFilter = ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter, _
"Pictures
(*.jpg,*.bmp)", "*.jpg;*.bmp")
' Now actually call to get the file name.
varFileName = ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
OpenFile:=True, _
InitialDir:=varDirectory, _
Filter:=strFilter, _
Flags:=lngFlags, _
DialogTitle:=varTitleForDialog)
If Not IsNull(varFileName) Then
varFileName = TrimNull(varFileName)
End If
GetOpenFile = varFileName
End Function

Function ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
Optional ByRef Flags As Variant, _
Optional ByVal InitialDir As Variant, _
Optional ByVal Filter As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FilterIndex As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DefaultExt As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FileName As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DialogTitle As Variant, _
Optional ByVal hwnd As Variant, _
Optional ByVal OpenFile As Variant) As
Variant
' This is the entry point you'll use to call the common
' file open/save dialog. The parameters are listed
' below, and all are optional.
'
' In:
' Flags: one or more of the ahtOFN_* constants, OR'd
together.
' InitialDir: the directory in which to first look
' Filter: a set of file filters, set up by calling
' AddFilterItem. See examples.
' FilterIndex: 1-based integer indicating which filter
' set to use, by default (1 if unspecified)
' DefaultExt: Extension to use if the user doesn't enter
one.
' Only useful on file saves.
' FileName: Default value for the file name text box.
' DialogTitle: Title for the dialog.
' hWnd: parent window handle
' OpenFile: Boolean(True=Open File/False=Save As)
' Out:
' Return Value: Either Null or the selected filename
Dim OFN As tagOPENFILENAME
Dim strFilename As String
Dim strFileTitle As String
Dim fResult As Boolean
' Give the dialog a caption title.
If IsMissing(InitialDir) Then InitialDir = CurDir
If IsMissing(Filter) Then Filter = ""
If IsMissing(FilterIndex) Then FilterIndex = 1
If IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = 0&
If IsMissing(DefaultExt) Then DefaultExt = ""
If IsMissing(FileName) Then FileName = ""
If IsMissing(DialogTitle) Then DialogTitle = ""
If IsMissing(hwnd) Then hwnd =
Application.hWndAccessApp
If IsMissing(OpenFile) Then OpenFile = True
' Allocate string space for the returned strings.
strFilename = Left(FileName & String(256, 0), 256)
strFileTitle = String(256, 0)
' Set up the data structure before you call the
function
With OFN
.lStructSize = Len(OFN)
.hwndOwner = hwnd
.strFilter = Filter
.nFilterIndex = FilterIndex
.strFile = strFilename
.nMaxFile = Len(strFilename)
.strFileTitle = strFileTitle
.nMaxFileTitle = Len(strFileTitle)
.strTitle = DialogTitle
.Flags = Flags
.strDefExt = DefaultExt
.strInitialDir = InitialDir
' Didn't think most people would want to deal
with
' these options.
.hInstance = 0
'.strCustomFilter = ""
'.nMaxCustFilter = 0
.lpfnHook = 0
'New for NT 4.0
.strCustomFilter = String(255, 0)
.nMaxCustFilter = 255
End With
' This will pass the desired data structure to the
' Windows API, which will in turn it uses to display
' the Open/Save As Dialog.
If OpenFile Then
fResult = aht_apiGetOpenFileName(OFN)
Else
fResult = aht_apiGetSaveFileName(OFN)
End If

' The function call filled in the strFileTitle
member
' of the structure. You'll have to write special
code
' to retrieve that if you're interested.
If fResult Then
' You might care to check the Flags member of
the
' structure to get information about the chosen
file.
' In this example, if you bothered to pass in a
' value for Flags, we'll fill it in with the
outgoing
' Flags value.
If Not IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = OFN.Flags
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = TrimNull(OFN.strFile)
Else
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = vbNullString
End If
End Function

Function ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter As String, _
strDescription As String, Optional varItem As
Variant) As String
' Tack a new chunk onto the file filter.
' That is, take the old value, stick onto it the
description,
' (like "Databases"), a null character, the skeleton
' (like "*.mdb;*.mda") and a final null character.

If IsMissing(varItem) Then varItem = "*.*"
ahtAddFilterItem = strFilter & _
strDescription & vbNullChar & _
varItem & vbNullChar
End Function

Private Function TrimNull(ByVal strItem As String) As
String
Dim intPos As Integer
intPos = InStr(strItem, vbNullChar)
If intPos 0 Then
TrimNull = Left(strItem, intPos - 1)
Else
TrimNull = strItem
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'***end copy***


"Michelle" wrote in
message
. ..
Mark, Thanks! I appreciate the detail steps. And
it's
embarrassing when I can't follow them!
I'm getting an error message: run-time error '2465'
Microsoft Access can't find the field 'FilePath'
referred
to in your expresion. I can't get from design view to
form view because of it.

On my Animals table I added FilePath as a text field.
And
in my Animals form (confusing names, I know) I added
the
picture (which I had to put a box around so I could
find
it!), deleted the actual picture/path and called the
field: ImageControl. Should the picture type
be "linked"
rather than "embedded"?

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me!FilePath
End Sub

I don't understand why this didn't work.

So I commented it out, and then I get a compile error:
expected variable or procedure, not module
and remembered to name the module: GetTheFilenamemdl
rather than GetTheFilename. See! I can be taught.

Now, it's not liking
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
I've never seen FileDialog. This must be what you
mentioned as tweaking the file browser function as I'm
using Access 2000. So I took a peek in the library
and
I
have these checked (and in this order):
VB for applications
Microsoft Access 9.0 object library
OLE Automation
Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library
Microsoft ActiveX Sata Objects 2.1 library

Am I salvagable? Thanks for your help, Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Hi Michelle,

For testing, you can certainly just type in the full
path
(don't need
quotes) to the image (don't forget the file's
extension
like Dog1.jpg). On
the form, add an image and select any old image from
the
wizard. Once the
control is on the form, you can go to properties and
erase the file path in
the "Picture" property. Now you have a blank
(unbound)
image control.

In my test form I whipped up to refresh my memory, I
just
used the default
name of the control, which happened to be "Image7".
Since the file path is
saved with the record, you'll always get the correct
image for the record
being displayed.

When your user clicks on the image (or blank image box
if
there's no image
assigned yet), the full filename with path is stored
in
the FilePath field
for that record and the form's recordset is requeried
to
update the image.
The ImageControl's OnClick event:
'*********code start************
Private Sub ImageControl_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the file")
If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If
Me!FilePath = strFilename
lngID = Me!ItemID
strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

'********code end************

In a regular module (for the file requestor),
'********code start********
Function GetTheFilename(strTitle As String) As String
Dim strFilename As String
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant

On Error GoTo Err_GetFilename
Set dlgFilePick = Application.FileDialog
(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With dlgFilePick
.Title = strTitle
'Let user select only one file
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
'The user pressed the action button.
GetTheFilename = .SelectedItems(1)

Else
'The user pressed Cancel.
GetTheFilename = "Cancelled"
End If
End With

Exit_GetFilename:
Set dlgFilePick = Nothing
Exit Function
Err_GetFilename:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & ": " &
Err.Description, ,
"GetTheFilename"
Resume Exit_GetFilename
End Function
'********code end************

I'm using Access2003, so the file browser function
might
need tweaking for
older versions.
Hope this helps!

"Michelle" wrote
in
message
. ..
I like the sound of that! I only have 5 pictures so
far
and they are slow to load.

I want to try it! I created a new text field
(FilePath)
in
table Animals. My file path for the 1st picture is
C:\My Documents\My Pictures\Dog1
so I enter the above path in the Animals table,
FilePath
field for Dog1's record. Correct? Do I need the
file
path in quotes?

How do I create an unbound image control on the
form? I
see the tool bar offers "image", "unbound object
frame"
and a "bound object frame"- all of which want me to
select
the image now. What am I missing to get an unbound
image
control?

I'm confused about: Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath
Does Image7 mean something? Is that the name of
your
image in the record? If so, how does the record
know
which picture to show for which record- must be by
the
file path name...

You said "When you click the image control, the user
browses to the picture they want to assign to the
current
record."- that sounds cool! So I set up the unbound
image
control once in the table and then the user gets to
choose
the picture, so that the user is never in the table-
correct? That would be excellent!

Thanks for the guidance!
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
I used to have an ID badge database that stored the
digital pictures in an
OLE field. There was an OLE control on the form
which,
when clicked, would
let you browse to select the file. With only 100 or
so
employee records, the
database bloated to over 200Mb. I have since
modified
the database to get
rid of the OLE field and control. I'm now storing
the
path to the picture
in a text field called FilePath and the database is
under
200Kb. I've got
an unbound image control on the form, and in the
form's
OnCurrent event I
have:

Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath

which will change the picture to match the picture
you
assigned to the
current record. When you click the image control,
the
user browses to the
picture they want to assign to the current record.
It
works with both JPG
and BMP files.

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
l...
Sorry about that!
I have form that I want to show a digital camera
picture.
I have the table field set up as an OLE Object.

Can I load the picture from the form, or do I need
to
go
to the table, find the correct record for the
field,
select Insert object and the browse to the correct
digital
camera picture? There's got to be an easier way
for
end-
users!

I see that bitmap is an option, but my digital
camera
pictures are jpg. How do I upload these?

Thanks,
Mich


.




.



.



.

Oops, my bad here...
Instead of
If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
It might need to be
If Not IsNull(Me.ImagePath) Then

I think it depends of whether you're checking the field contents or the
control contents.

"Mark" Pseudo Access Expert wrote in message
...
All you need to do is check to see if there's a path stored, and if not
just set the Picture property to nothing:

If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

"Michelle" wrote in message
...
Yah, it's up to 40 watts now! Not quite room
temperature. But so appreciate the hand-holding!
My bad- I messed up my form by not saving one of the
modules when it asked me (several times), and I had to
create the form over- forgetting the on_current:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath

Much better now- I have picture!! (it was so exciting!)
but not quite right.

That very code:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
is giving me grief- run-time error '94' invalid use of
null.

I took the "." vs. "!" advice (nice), but didn't need to
use Me.txtPath=strFilename. But I did check it out and
liked the idea so I created a field to show the picture
path- handy when we need to update the picture. Anyway,
Record1 has a path and a picture. When I navigate to
Record2, I get the error, see that there is no path, yet
it has Record1's picture. Strange. I click "end" rather
than "debug". Go on to Record 3 (no error getting there
because Record3 has a path and a picture). Record4 (error-
no path/picture), click "end" and all the rest of my
records have no path but Record3's picture (the last
record with a picture). So, code is not happy when there
is no picture attached to the Record, makes up it's own
picture, and yells at me before I even have a chance to
attach the picture. What did I do wrong now? I'm feeling
it. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Or posts have crossed each other. If you look at my
previous (to this post)
post, you need to change the line where it checks to see
if strFilename =
"Cancelled" to just checking if strFilename= "". The new
functions don't
return "Cancelled" if you cancel the browser. Because
it's checking for
"Cancelled" and not seeing it, it continues the code and
tries to store an
empty string in your table.

It looks like the little lightbulb over your head is
getting brighter and
brighter!

"Michelle" wrote in
message
.. .
OK, now's the time to think not just paste!
Here's what I have:

Private Sub ImagePicture_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

'strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the file")
strFilename = GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If

'Me!FilePath = strFilename
Me!ImagePath = strFilename
'lngID = Me!ItemID
lngID = Me!AnimalsID
'strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
strFind = "[AnimalsID]=" & lngID

Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

End Sub

I was getting an error message that (I think) strFind
was
zero length. But now I'm getting nothing- no error
message, no picture. Wait here's the error:
run-time error '3315' Field 'Animals.ImagePath' cannot
be
a zero-length string.

I did make sure that ImagePath is in the record source
and
that the text field is 50 characters to handle the path.

I still must be doing something wrong. So close!
Thanks,
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Michelle,
Long ago, I was given a bunch of code which was written
back in the Access97
days, which uses calls to the Windows components to open
the file dialog.
I'm pasting it here, but be prepared for a long bunch of
code! Just copy
what's between the ***start copy*** and ***end copy***.
Paste it into a new
module; mine was called modFileRequestor...
For your image_click event use this code instead of what
I had befo
GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

As for confusing names like table "Animals" and
form "Animals", I alway put
a three-character identifier on all my objects--
tblAnimals or frmAnimals or
qryAnimals, etc. Just for clarity, you might want to
rename your field in
the table to "ImagePath", and maybe your image control
on
the form to
"imgPicture". You shouldn't have to change the image
property from
"embedded"; it won't matter since it's not being saved
with the form. If
you still get the error about "can't find the field..."
double-check your
form's recordsource to make sure the new path field is
in
there.

'***start copy***
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long
pidlRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As String
lpszTitle As String
ulFlags As Long
lpfn As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Type tagOPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
strFilter As String
strCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
strFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
strFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
strInitialDir As String
strTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
strDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetOpenFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME) As
Boolean
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetSaveFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME) As
Boolean
Private Declare Function CommDlgExtendedError
Lib "comdlg32.dll" () As Long
'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As Long,
_
ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As
BROWSEINFO) _
As Long

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1
'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Const ahtOFN_READONLY = &H1
Private Const ahtOFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT = &H2
Private Const ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY = &H4
Private Const ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR = &H8
Private Const ahtOFN_SHOWHELP = &H10
Private Const ahtOFN_NOVALIDATE = &H100
Private Const ahtOFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT = &H200
Private Const ahtOFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT = &H400
Private Const ahtOFN_PATHMUSTEXIST = &H800
Private Const ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST = &H1000
Private Const ahtOFN_CREATEPROMPT = &H2000
Private Const ahtOFN_SHAREAWARE = &H4000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOREADONLYRETURN = &H8000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOTESTFILECREATE = &H10000
Private Const ahtOFN_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H20000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOLONGNAMES = &H40000
Private Const ahtOFN_EXPLORER = &H80000
Private Const ahtOFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS = &H100000
Private Const ahtOFN_LONGNAMES = &H200000

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Terry Kreft.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
'Code courtesy of
'Terry Kreft

Function BrowseFolder(szDialogTitle As String) As String
Dim x As Long, bi As BROWSEINFO, dwIList As Long
Dim szPath As String, wPos As Integer

With bi
.hOwner = hWndAccessApp
.lpszTitle = szDialogTitle
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With

dwIList = SHBrowseForFolder(bi)
szPath = Space$(512)
x = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal dwIList, ByVal szPath)

If x Then
wPos = InStr(szPath, Chr(0))
BrowseFolder = Left$(szPath, wPos - 1)
Else
BrowseFolder = vbNullString
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Ken Getz.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
' Code courtesy of:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' Waite Group Press, 1996

Function GetOpenFile(Optional varDirectory As Variant, _
Optional varTitleForDialog As Variant, Optional
varFiletype As Variant)
As Variant
' Here's an example that gets an Access database name.
Dim strFilter As String
Dim lngFlags As Long
Dim varFileName As Variant
' Specify that the chosen file must already exist,
' don't change directories when you're done
' Also, don't bother displaying
' the read-only box. It'll only confuse people.
lngFlags = ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST Or _
ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY Or
ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR
If IsMissing(varDirectory) Then
varDirectory = ""
End If
If IsMissing(varTitleForDialog) Then
varTitleForDialog = ""
End If

' Define the filter string and allocate space in
the "c"
' string Duplicate this line with changes as
necessary for
' more file templates.
strFilter = ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter, _
"Pictures
(*.jpg,*.bmp)", "*.jpg;*.bmp")
' Now actually call to get the file name.
varFileName = ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
OpenFile:=True, _
InitialDir:=varDirectory, _
Filter:=strFilter, _
Flags:=lngFlags, _
DialogTitle:=varTitleForDialog)
If Not IsNull(varFileName) Then
varFileName = TrimNull(varFileName)
End If
GetOpenFile = varFileName
End Function

Function ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
Optional ByRef Flags As Variant, _
Optional ByVal InitialDir As Variant, _
Optional ByVal Filter As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FilterIndex As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DefaultExt As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FileName As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DialogTitle As Variant, _
Optional ByVal hwnd As Variant, _
Optional ByVal OpenFile As Variant) As
Variant
' This is the entry point you'll use to call the common
' file open/save dialog. The parameters are listed
' below, and all are optional.
'
' In:
' Flags: one or more of the ahtOFN_* constants, OR'd
together.
' InitialDir: the directory in which to first look
' Filter: a set of file filters, set up by calling
' AddFilterItem. See examples.
' FilterIndex: 1-based integer indicating which filter
' set to use, by default (1 if unspecified)
' DefaultExt: Extension to use if the user doesn't enter
one.
' Only useful on file saves.
' FileName: Default value for the file name text box.
' DialogTitle: Title for the dialog.
' hWnd: parent window handle
' OpenFile: Boolean(True=Open File/False=Save As)
' Out:
' Return Value: Either Null or the selected filename
Dim OFN As tagOPENFILENAME
Dim strFilename As String
Dim strFileTitle As String
Dim fResult As Boolean
' Give the dialog a caption title.
If IsMissing(InitialDir) Then InitialDir = CurDir
If IsMissing(Filter) Then Filter = ""
If IsMissing(FilterIndex) Then FilterIndex = 1
If IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = 0&
If IsMissing(DefaultExt) Then DefaultExt = ""
If IsMissing(FileName) Then FileName = ""
If IsMissing(DialogTitle) Then DialogTitle = ""
If IsMissing(hwnd) Then hwnd =
Application.hWndAccessApp
If IsMissing(OpenFile) Then OpenFile = True
' Allocate string space for the returned strings.
strFilename = Left(FileName & String(256, 0), 256)
strFileTitle = String(256, 0)
' Set up the data structure before you call the
function
With OFN
.lStructSize = Len(OFN)
.hwndOwner = hwnd
.strFilter = Filter
.nFilterIndex = FilterIndex
.strFile = strFilename
.nMaxFile = Len(strFilename)
.strFileTitle = strFileTitle
.nMaxFileTitle = Len(strFileTitle)
.strTitle = DialogTitle
.Flags = Flags
.strDefExt = DefaultExt
.strInitialDir = InitialDir
' Didn't think most people would want to deal
with
' these options.
.hInstance = 0
'.strCustomFilter = ""
'.nMaxCustFilter = 0
.lpfnHook = 0
'New for NT 4.0
.strCustomFilter = String(255, 0)
.nMaxCustFilter = 255
End With
' This will pass the desired data structure to the
' Windows API, which will in turn it uses to display
' the Open/Save As Dialog.
If OpenFile Then
fResult = aht_apiGetOpenFileName(OFN)
Else
fResult = aht_apiGetSaveFileName(OFN)
End If

' The function call filled in the strFileTitle
member
' of the structure. You'll have to write special
code
' to retrieve that if you're interested.
If fResult Then
' You might care to check the Flags member of
the
' structure to get information about the chosen
file.
' In this example, if you bothered to pass in a
' value for Flags, we'll fill it in with the
outgoing
' Flags value.
If Not IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = OFN.Flags
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = TrimNull(OFN.strFile)
Else
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = vbNullString
End If
End Function

Function ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter As String, _
strDescription As String, Optional varItem As
Variant) As String
' Tack a new chunk onto the file filter.
' That is, take the old value, stick onto it the
description,
' (like "Databases"), a null character, the skeleton
' (like "*.mdb;*.mda") and a final null character.

If IsMissing(varItem) Then varItem = "*.*"
ahtAddFilterItem = strFilter & _
strDescription & vbNullChar & _
varItem & vbNullChar
End Function

Private Function TrimNull(ByVal strItem As String) As
String
Dim intPos As Integer
intPos = InStr(strItem, vbNullChar)
If intPos 0 Then
TrimNull = Left(strItem, intPos - 1)
Else
TrimNull = strItem
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'***end copy***


"Michelle" wrote in
message
.. .
Mark, Thanks! I appreciate the detail steps. And
it's
embarrassing when I can't follow them!
I'm getting an error message: run-time error '2465'
Microsoft Access can't find the field 'FilePath'
referred
to in your expresion. I can't get from design view to
form view because of it.

On my Animals table I added FilePath as a text field.
And
in my Animals form (confusing names, I know) I added
the
picture (which I had to put a box around so I could
find
it!), deleted the actual picture/path and called the
field: ImageControl. Should the picture type
be "linked"
rather than "embedded"?

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me!FilePath
End Sub

I don't understand why this didn't work.

So I commented it out, and then I get a compile error:
expected variable or procedure, not module
and remembered to name the module: GetTheFilenamemdl
rather than GetTheFilename. See! I can be taught.

Now, it's not liking
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
I've never seen FileDialog. This must be what you
mentioned as tweaking the file browser function as I'm
using Access 2000. So I took a peek in the library
and
I
have these checked (and in this order):
VB for applications
Microsoft Access 9.0 object library
OLE Automation
Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library
Microsoft ActiveX Sata Objects 2.1 library

Am I salvagable? Thanks for your help, Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Hi Michelle,

For testing, you can certainly just type in the full
path
(don't need
quotes) to the image (don't forget the file's
extension
like Dog1.jpg). On
the form, add an image and select any old image from
the
wizard. Once the
control is on the form, you can go to properties and
erase the file path in
the "Picture" property. Now you have a blank
(unbound)
image control.

In my test form I whipped up to refresh my memory, I
just
used the default
name of the control, which happened to be "Image7".
Since the file path is
saved with the record, you'll always get the correct
image for the record
being displayed.

When your user clicks on the image (or blank image box
if
there's no image
assigned yet), the full filename with path is stored
in
the FilePath field
for that record and the form's recordset is requeried
to
update the image.
The ImageControl's OnClick event:
'*********code start************
Private Sub ImageControl_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the file")
If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If
Me!FilePath = strFilename
lngID = Me!ItemID
strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

'********code end************

In a regular module (for the file requestor),
'********code start********
Function GetTheFilename(strTitle As String) As String
Dim strFilename As String
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant

On Error GoTo Err_GetFilename
Set dlgFilePick = Application.FileDialog
(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With dlgFilePick
.Title = strTitle
'Let user select only one file
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
'The user pressed the action button.
GetTheFilename = .SelectedItems(1)

Else
'The user pressed Cancel.
GetTheFilename = "Cancelled"
End If
End With

Exit_GetFilename:
Set dlgFilePick = Nothing
Exit Function
Err_GetFilename:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & ": " &
Err.Description, ,
"GetTheFilename"
Resume Exit_GetFilename
End Function
'********code end************

I'm using Access2003, so the file browser function
might
need tweaking for
older versions.
Hope this helps!

"Michelle" wrote
in
message
...
I like the sound of that! I only have 5 pictures so
far
and they are slow to load.

I want to try it! I created a new text field
(FilePath)
in
table Animals. My file path for the 1st picture is
C:\My Documents\My Pictures\Dog1
so I enter the above path in the Animals table,
FilePath
field for Dog1's record. Correct? Do I need the
file
path in quotes?

How do I create an unbound image control on the
form? I
see the tool bar offers "image", "unbound object
frame"
and a "bound object frame"- all of which want me to
select
the image now. What am I missing to get an unbound
image
control?

I'm confused about: Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath
Does Image7 mean something? Is that the name of
your
image in the record? If so, how does the record
know
which picture to show for which record- must be by
the
file path name...

You said "When you click the image control, the user
browses to the picture they want to assign to the
current
record."- that sounds cool! So I set up the unbound
image
control once in the table and then the user gets to
choose
the picture, so that the user is never in the table-
correct? That would be excellent!

Thanks for the guidance!
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
I used to have an ID badge database that stored the
digital pictures in an
OLE field. There was an OLE control on the form
which,
when clicked, would
let you browse to select the file. With only 100 or
so
employee records, the
database bloated to over 200Mb. I have since
modified
the database to get
rid of the OLE field and control. I'm now storing
the
path to the picture
in a text field called FilePath and the database is
under
200Kb. I've got
an unbound image control on the form, and in the
form's
OnCurrent event I
have:

Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath

which will change the picture to match the picture
you
assigned to the
current record. When you click the image control,
the
user browses to the
picture they want to assign to the current record.
It
works with both JPG
and BMP files.

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
bl...
Sorry about that!
I have form that I want to show a digital camera
picture.
I have the table field set up as an OLE Object.

Can I load the picture from the form, or do I need
to
go
to the table, find the correct record for the
field,
select Insert object and the browse to the correct
digital
camera picture? There's got to be an easier way
for
end-
users!

I see that bitmap is an option, but my digital
camera
pictures are jpg. How do I upload these?

Thanks,
Mich


.




.



.



.

Hmm. I now have:

Private Sub Form_Current()
If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If
End Sub

but it's still giving the same error. I'm on Record1
(path) and naviagte to Record2 (no real path), I get the
error and when I go to debug Me.ImagePicture.Picture =
Me.ImagePath is showing the path from Record1. I can't
tell if thinks it's on record1 or thinks record2 has
record1's path. In any case, it doesn't think it's null
when it is. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
All you need to do is check to see if there's a path
stored, and if not just
set the Picture property to nothing:

If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

"Michelle" wrote in
message
...
Yah, it's up to 40 watts now! Not quite room
temperature. But so appreciate the hand-holding!
My bad- I messed up my form by not saving one of the
modules when it asked me (several times), and I had to
create the form over- forgetting the on_current:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath

Much better now- I have picture!! (it was so exciting!)
but not quite right.

That very code:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
is giving me grief- run-time error '94' invalid use of
null.

I took the "." vs. "!" advice (nice), but didn't need to
use Me.txtPath=strFilename. But I did check it out and
liked the idea so I created a field to show the picture
path- handy when we need to update the picture. Anyway,
Record1 has a path and a picture. When I navigate to
Record2, I get the error, see that there is no path, yet
it has Record1's picture. Strange. I click "end" rather
than "debug". Go on to Record 3 (no error getting there
because Record3 has a path and a picture). Record4
(error-
no path/picture), click "end" and all the rest of my
records have no path but Record3's picture (the last
record with a picture). So, code is not happy when there
is no picture attached to the Record, makes up it's own
picture, and yells at me before I even have a chance to
attach the picture. What did I do wrong now? I'm
feeling
it. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Or posts have crossed each other. If you look at my
previous (to this post)
post, you need to change the line where it checks to see
if strFilename =
"Cancelled" to just checking if strFilename= "". The
new
functions don't
return "Cancelled" if you cancel the browser. Because
it's checking for
"Cancelled" and not seeing it, it continues the code and
tries to store an
empty string in your table.

It looks like the little lightbulb over your head is
getting brighter and
brighter!

"Michelle" wrote in
message
.. .
OK, now's the time to think not just paste!
Here's what I have:

Private Sub ImagePicture_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

'strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the file")
strFilename = GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If

'Me!FilePath = strFilename
Me!ImagePath = strFilename
'lngID = Me!ItemID
lngID = Me!AnimalsID
'strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
strFind = "[AnimalsID]=" & lngID

Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

End Sub

I was getting an error message that (I think) strFind
was
zero length. But now I'm getting nothing- no error
message, no picture. Wait here's the error:
run-time error '3315' Field 'Animals.ImagePath' cannot
be
a zero-length string.

I did make sure that ImagePath is in the record source
and
that the text field is 50 characters to handle the
path.

I still must be doing something wrong. So close!
Thanks,
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Michelle,
Long ago, I was given a bunch of code which was
written
back in the Access97
days, which uses calls to the Windows components to
open
the file dialog.
I'm pasting it here, but be prepared for a long bunch
of
code! Just copy
what's between the ***start copy*** and ***end
copy***.
Paste it into a new
module; mine was called modFileRequestor...
For your image_click event use this code instead of
what
I had befo
GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

As for confusing names like table "Animals" and
form "Animals", I alway put
a three-character identifier on all my objects--
tblAnimals or frmAnimals or
qryAnimals, etc. Just for clarity, you might want to
rename your field in
the table to "ImagePath", and maybe your image control
on
the form to
"imgPicture". You shouldn't have to change the image
property from
"embedded"; it won't matter since it's not being saved
with the form. If
you still get the error about "can't find the
field..."
double-check your
form's recordsource to make sure the new path field is
in
there.

'***start copy***
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long
pidlRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As String
lpszTitle As String
ulFlags As Long
lpfn As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Type tagOPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
strFilter As String
strCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
strFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
strFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
strInitialDir As String
strTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
strDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetOpenFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetSaveFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function CommDlgExtendedError
Lib "comdlg32.dll" () As Long
'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As
Long,
_
ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As
BROWSEINFO) _
As Long

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1
'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Const ahtOFN_READONLY = &H1
Private Const ahtOFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT = &H2
Private Const ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY = &H4
Private Const ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR = &H8
Private Const ahtOFN_SHOWHELP = &H10
Private Const ahtOFN_NOVALIDATE = &H100
Private Const ahtOFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT = &H200
Private Const ahtOFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT = &H400
Private Const ahtOFN_PATHMUSTEXIST = &H800
Private Const ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST = &H1000
Private Const ahtOFN_CREATEPROMPT = &H2000
Private Const ahtOFN_SHAREAWARE = &H4000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOREADONLYRETURN = &H8000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOTESTFILECREATE = &H10000
Private Const ahtOFN_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H20000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOLONGNAMES = &H40000
Private Const ahtOFN_EXPLORER = &H80000
Private Const ahtOFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS = &H100000
Private Const ahtOFN_LONGNAMES = &H200000

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Terry Kreft.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
'Code courtesy of
'Terry Kreft

Function BrowseFolder(szDialogTitle As String) As
String
Dim x As Long, bi As BROWSEINFO, dwIList As Long
Dim szPath As String, wPos As Integer

With bi
.hOwner = hWndAccessApp
.lpszTitle = szDialogTitle
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With

dwIList = SHBrowseForFolder(bi)
szPath = Space$(512)
x = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal dwIList, ByVal
szPath)

If x Then
wPos = InStr(szPath, Chr(0))
BrowseFolder = Left$(szPath, wPos - 1)
Else
BrowseFolder = vbNullString
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Ken Getz.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
' Code courtesy of:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' Waite Group Press, 1996

Function GetOpenFile(Optional varDirectory As
Variant, _
Optional varTitleForDialog As Variant, Optional
varFiletype As Variant)
As Variant
' Here's an example that gets an Access database name.
Dim strFilter As String
Dim lngFlags As Long
Dim varFileName As Variant
' Specify that the chosen file must already exist,
' don't change directories when you're done
' Also, don't bother displaying
' the read-only box. It'll only confuse people.
lngFlags = ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST Or _
ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY Or
ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR
If IsMissing(varDirectory) Then
varDirectory = ""
End If
If IsMissing(varTitleForDialog) Then
varTitleForDialog = ""
End If

' Define the filter string and allocate space in
the "c"
' string Duplicate this line with changes as
necessary for
' more file templates.
strFilter = ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter, _
"Pictures
(*.jpg,*.bmp)", "*.jpg;*.bmp")
' Now actually call to get the file name.
varFileName = ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
OpenFile:=True, _
InitialDir:=varDirectory, _
Filter:=strFilter, _
Flags:=lngFlags, _
DialogTitle:=varTitleForDialog)
If Not IsNull(varFileName) Then
varFileName = TrimNull(varFileName)
End If
GetOpenFile = varFileName
End Function

Function ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
Optional ByRef Flags As Variant, _
Optional ByVal InitialDir As Variant, _
Optional ByVal Filter As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FilterIndex As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DefaultExt As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FileName As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DialogTitle As Variant, _
Optional ByVal hwnd As Variant, _
Optional ByVal OpenFile As Variant) As
Variant
' This is the entry point you'll use to call the
common
' file open/save dialog. The parameters are listed
' below, and all are optional.
'
' In:
' Flags: one or more of the ahtOFN_* constants, OR'd
together.
' InitialDir: the directory in which to first look
' Filter: a set of file filters, set up by calling
' AddFilterItem. See examples.
' FilterIndex: 1-based integer indicating which filter
' set to use, by default (1 if unspecified)
' DefaultExt: Extension to use if the user doesn't
enter
one.
' Only useful on file saves.
' FileName: Default value for the file name text box.
' DialogTitle: Title for the dialog.
' hWnd: parent window handle
' OpenFile: Boolean(True=Open File/False=Save As)
' Out:
' Return Value: Either Null or the selected filename
Dim OFN As tagOPENFILENAME
Dim strFilename As String
Dim strFileTitle As String
Dim fResult As Boolean
' Give the dialog a caption title.
If IsMissing(InitialDir) Then InitialDir = CurDir
If IsMissing(Filter) Then Filter = ""
If IsMissing(FilterIndex) Then FilterIndex = 1
If IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = 0&
If IsMissing(DefaultExt) Then DefaultExt = ""
If IsMissing(FileName) Then FileName = ""
If IsMissing(DialogTitle) Then DialogTitle = ""
If IsMissing(hwnd) Then hwnd =
Application.hWndAccessApp
If IsMissing(OpenFile) Then OpenFile = True
' Allocate string space for the returned strings.
strFilename = Left(FileName & String(256, 0), 256)
strFileTitle = String(256, 0)
' Set up the data structure before you call the
function
With OFN
.lStructSize = Len(OFN)
.hwndOwner = hwnd
.strFilter = Filter
.nFilterIndex = FilterIndex
.strFile = strFilename
.nMaxFile = Len(strFilename)
.strFileTitle = strFileTitle
.nMaxFileTitle = Len(strFileTitle)
.strTitle = DialogTitle
.Flags = Flags
.strDefExt = DefaultExt
.strInitialDir = InitialDir
' Didn't think most people would want to deal
with
' these options.
.hInstance = 0
'.strCustomFilter = ""
'.nMaxCustFilter = 0
.lpfnHook = 0
'New for NT 4.0
.strCustomFilter = String(255, 0)
.nMaxCustFilter = 255
End With
' This will pass the desired data structure to the
' Windows API, which will in turn it uses to
display
' the Open/Save As Dialog.
If OpenFile Then
fResult = aht_apiGetOpenFileName(OFN)
Else
fResult = aht_apiGetSaveFileName(OFN)
End If

' The function call filled in the strFileTitle
member
' of the structure. You'll have to write special
code
' to retrieve that if you're interested.
If fResult Then
' You might care to check the Flags member of
the
' structure to get information about the
chosen
file.
' In this example, if you bothered to pass in
a
' value for Flags, we'll fill it in with the
outgoing
' Flags value.
If Not IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = OFN.Flags
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = TrimNull(OFN.strFile)
Else
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = vbNullString
End If
End Function

Function ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter As String, _
strDescription As String, Optional varItem As
Variant) As String
' Tack a new chunk onto the file filter.
' That is, take the old value, stick onto it the
description,
' (like "Databases"), a null character, the skeleton
' (like "*.mdb;*.mda") and a final null character.

If IsMissing(varItem) Then varItem = "*.*"
ahtAddFilterItem = strFilter & _
strDescription & vbNullChar & _
varItem & vbNullChar
End Function

Private Function TrimNull(ByVal strItem As String) As
String
Dim intPos As Integer
intPos = InStr(strItem, vbNullChar)
If intPos 0 Then
TrimNull = Left(strItem, intPos - 1)
Else
TrimNull = strItem
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'***end copy***


"Michelle" wrote
in
message
.. .
Mark, Thanks! I appreciate the detail steps. And
it's
embarrassing when I can't follow them!
I'm getting an error message: run-time error '2465'
Microsoft Access can't find the field 'FilePath'
referred
to in your expresion. I can't get from design view
to
form view because of it.

On my Animals table I added FilePath as a text
field.
And
in my Animals form (confusing names, I know) I added
the
picture (which I had to put a box around so I could
find
it!), deleted the actual picture/path and called the
field: ImageControl. Should the picture type
be "linked"
rather than "embedded"?

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me!FilePath
End Sub

I don't understand why this didn't work.

So I commented it out, and then I get a compile
error:
expected variable or procedure, not module
and remembered to name the module: GetTheFilenamemdl
rather than GetTheFilename. See! I can be taught.

Now, it's not liking
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
I've never seen FileDialog. This must be what you
mentioned as tweaking the file browser function as
I'm
using Access 2000. So I took a peek in the library
and
I
have these checked (and in this order):
VB for applications
Microsoft Access 9.0 object library
OLE Automation
Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library
Microsoft ActiveX Sata Objects 2.1 library

Am I salvagable? Thanks for your help, Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Hi Michelle,

For testing, you can certainly just type in the full
path
(don't need
quotes) to the image (don't forget the file's
extension
like Dog1.jpg). On
the form, add an image and select any old image from
the
wizard. Once the
control is on the form, you can go to properties and
erase the file path in
the "Picture" property. Now you have a blank
(unbound)
image control.

In my test form I whipped up to refresh my memory, I
just
used the default
name of the control, which happened to be "Image7".
Since the file path is
saved with the record, you'll always get the correct
image for the record
being displayed.

When your user clicks on the image (or blank image
box
if
there's no image
assigned yet), the full filename with path is stored
in
the FilePath field
for that record and the form's recordset is
requeried
to
update the image.
The ImageControl's OnClick event:
'*********code start************
Private Sub ImageControl_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the
file")
If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If
Me!FilePath = strFilename
lngID = Me!ItemID
strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

'********code end************

In a regular module (for the file requestor),
'********code start********
Function GetTheFilename(strTitle As String) As
String
Dim strFilename As String
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant

On Error GoTo Err_GetFilename
Set dlgFilePick = Application.FileDialog
(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With dlgFilePick
.Title = strTitle
'Let user select only one file
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
'The user pressed the action button.
GetTheFilename = .SelectedItems(1)

Else
'The user pressed Cancel.
GetTheFilename = "Cancelled"
End If
End With

Exit_GetFilename:
Set dlgFilePick = Nothing
Exit Function
Err_GetFilename:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & ": " &
Err.Description, ,
"GetTheFilename"
Resume Exit_GetFilename
End Function
'********code end************

I'm using Access2003, so the file browser function
might
need tweaking for
older versions.
Hope this helps!

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
...
I like the sound of that! I only have 5 pictures
so
far
and they are slow to load.

I want to try it! I created a new text field
(FilePath)
in
table Animals. My file path for the 1st picture
is
C:\My Documents\My Pictures\Dog1
so I enter the above path in the Animals table,
FilePath
field for Dog1's record. Correct? Do I need the
file
path in quotes?

How do I create an unbound image control on the
form? I
see the tool bar offers "image", "unbound object
frame"
and a "bound object frame"- all of which want me
to
select
the image now. What am I missing to get an
unbound
image
control?

I'm confused about: Me.Image7.Picture = Me!
FilePath
Does Image7 mean something? Is that the name of
your
image in the record? If so, how does the record
know
which picture to show for which record- must be by
the
file path name...

You said "When you click the image control, the
user
browses to the picture they want to assign to the
current
record."- that sounds cool! So I set up the
unbound
image
control once in the table and then the user gets
to
choose
the picture, so that the user is never in the
table-
correct? That would be excellent!

Thanks for the guidance!
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
I used to have an ID badge database that stored
the
digital pictures in an
OLE field. There was an OLE control on the form
which,
when clicked, would
let you browse to select the file. With only 100
or
so
employee records, the
database bloated to over 200Mb. I have since
modified
the database to get
rid of the OLE field and control. I'm now storing
the
path to the picture
in a text field called FilePath and the database
is
under
200Kb. I've got
an unbound image control on the form, and in the
form's
OnCurrent event I
have:

Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath

which will change the picture to match the picture
you
assigned to the
current record. When you click the image control,
the
user browses to the
picture they want to assign to the current record.
It
works with both JPG
and BMP files.

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
bl...
Sorry about that!
I have form that I want to show a digital camera
picture.
I have the table field set up as an OLE Object.

Can I load the picture from the form, or do I
need
to
go
to the table, find the correct record for the
field,
select Insert object and the browse to the
correct
digital
camera picture? There's got to be an easier way
for
end-
users!

I see that bitmap is an option, but my digital
camera
pictures are jpg. How do I upload these?

Thanks,
Mich


.




.



.



.



.

Yeah, my brain is running out of steam. I think we need to check for null
instead of empty:

If IsNull(Me.ImagePath) Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

I always have to play around with the IsNull vs ="" to get certain things to
work right.

"Michelle" wrote in message
...
Hmm. I now have:

Private Sub Form_Current()
If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If
End Sub

but it's still giving the same error. I'm on Record1
(path) and naviagte to Record2 (no real path), I get the
error and when I go to debug Me.ImagePicture.Picture =
Me.ImagePath is showing the path from Record1. I can't
tell if thinks it's on record1 or thinks record2 has
record1's path. In any case, it doesn't think it's null
when it is. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
All you need to do is check to see if there's a path
stored, and if not just
set the Picture property to nothing:

If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

"Michelle" wrote in
message
...
Yah, it's up to 40 watts now! Not quite room
temperature. But so appreciate the hand-holding!
My bad- I messed up my form by not saving one of the
modules when it asked me (several times), and I had to
create the form over- forgetting the on_current:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath

Much better now- I have picture!! (it was so exciting!)
but not quite right.

That very code:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
is giving me grief- run-time error '94' invalid use of
null.

I took the "." vs. "!" advice (nice), but didn't need to
use Me.txtPath=strFilename. But I did check it out and
liked the idea so I created a field to show the picture
path- handy when we need to update the picture. Anyway,
Record1 has a path and a picture. When I navigate to
Record2, I get the error, see that there is no path, yet
it has Record1's picture. Strange. I click "end" rather
than "debug". Go on to Record 3 (no error getting there
because Record3 has a path and a picture). Record4
(error-
no path/picture), click "end" and all the rest of my
records have no path but Record3's picture (the last
record with a picture). So, code is not happy when there
is no picture attached to the Record, makes up it's own
picture, and yells at me before I even have a chance to
attach the picture. What did I do wrong now? I'm
feeling
it. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Or posts have crossed each other. If you look at my
previous (to this post)
post, you need to change the line where it checks to see
if strFilename =
"Cancelled" to just checking if strFilename= "". The
new
functions don't
return "Cancelled" if you cancel the browser. Because
it's checking for
"Cancelled" and not seeing it, it continues the code and
tries to store an
empty string in your table.

It looks like the little lightbulb over your head is
getting brighter and
brighter!

"Michelle" wrote in
message
. ..
OK, now's the time to think not just paste!
Here's what I have:

Private Sub ImagePicture_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

'strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the file")
strFilename = GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If

'Me!FilePath = strFilename
Me!ImagePath = strFilename
'lngID = Me!ItemID
lngID = Me!AnimalsID
'strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
strFind = "[AnimalsID]=" & lngID

Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

End Sub

I was getting an error message that (I think) strFind
was
zero length. But now I'm getting nothing- no error
message, no picture. Wait here's the error:
run-time error '3315' Field 'Animals.ImagePath' cannot
be
a zero-length string.

I did make sure that ImagePath is in the record source
and
that the text field is 50 characters to handle the
path.

I still must be doing something wrong. So close!
Thanks,
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Michelle,
Long ago, I was given a bunch of code which was
written
back in the Access97
days, which uses calls to the Windows components to
open
the file dialog.
I'm pasting it here, but be prepared for a long bunch
of
code! Just copy
what's between the ***start copy*** and ***end
copy***.
Paste it into a new
module; mine was called modFileRequestor...
For your image_click event use this code instead of
what
I had befo
GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

As for confusing names like table "Animals" and
form "Animals", I alway put
a three-character identifier on all my objects--
tblAnimals or frmAnimals or
qryAnimals, etc. Just for clarity, you might want to
rename your field in
the table to "ImagePath", and maybe your image control
on
the form to
"imgPicture". You shouldn't have to change the image
property from
"embedded"; it won't matter since it's not being saved
with the form. If
you still get the error about "can't find the
field..."
double-check your
form's recordsource to make sure the new path field is
in
there.

'***start copy***
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long
pidlRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As String
lpszTitle As String
ulFlags As Long
lpfn As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Type tagOPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
strFilter As String
strCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
strFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
strFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
strInitialDir As String
strTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
strDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetOpenFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetSaveFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (OFN As tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function CommDlgExtendedError
Lib "comdlg32.dll" () As Long
'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As
Long,
_
ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As
BROWSEINFO) _
As Long

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1
'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Const ahtOFN_READONLY = &H1
Private Const ahtOFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT = &H2
Private Const ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY = &H4
Private Const ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR = &H8
Private Const ahtOFN_SHOWHELP = &H10
Private Const ahtOFN_NOVALIDATE = &H100
Private Const ahtOFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT = &H200
Private Const ahtOFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT = &H400
Private Const ahtOFN_PATHMUSTEXIST = &H800
Private Const ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST = &H1000
Private Const ahtOFN_CREATEPROMPT = &H2000
Private Const ahtOFN_SHAREAWARE = &H4000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOREADONLYRETURN = &H8000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOTESTFILECREATE = &H10000
Private Const ahtOFN_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H20000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOLONGNAMES = &H40000
Private Const ahtOFN_EXPLORER = &H80000
Private Const ahtOFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS = &H100000
Private Const ahtOFN_LONGNAMES = &H200000

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Terry Kreft.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
'Code courtesy of
'Terry Kreft

Function BrowseFolder(szDialogTitle As String) As
String
Dim x As Long, bi As BROWSEINFO, dwIList As Long
Dim szPath As String, wPos As Integer

With bi
.hOwner = hWndAccessApp
.lpszTitle = szDialogTitle
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With

dwIList = SHBrowseForFolder(bi)
szPath = Space$(512)
x = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal dwIList, ByVal
szPath)

If x Then
wPos = InStr(szPath, Chr(0))
BrowseFolder = Left$(szPath, wPos - 1)
Else
BrowseFolder = vbNullString
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Ken Getz.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
' Code courtesy of:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' Waite Group Press, 1996

Function GetOpenFile(Optional varDirectory As
Variant, _
Optional varTitleForDialog As Variant, Optional
varFiletype As Variant)
As Variant
' Here's an example that gets an Access database name.
Dim strFilter As String
Dim lngFlags As Long
Dim varFileName As Variant
' Specify that the chosen file must already exist,
' don't change directories when you're done
' Also, don't bother displaying
' the read-only box. It'll only confuse people.
lngFlags = ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST Or _
ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY Or
ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR
If IsMissing(varDirectory) Then
varDirectory = ""
End If
If IsMissing(varTitleForDialog) Then
varTitleForDialog = ""
End If

' Define the filter string and allocate space in
the "c"
' string Duplicate this line with changes as
necessary for
' more file templates.
strFilter = ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter, _
"Pictures
(*.jpg,*.bmp)", "*.jpg;*.bmp")
' Now actually call to get the file name.
varFileName = ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
OpenFile:=True, _
InitialDir:=varDirectory, _
Filter:=strFilter, _
Flags:=lngFlags, _
DialogTitle:=varTitleForDialog)
If Not IsNull(varFileName) Then
varFileName = TrimNull(varFileName)
End If
GetOpenFile = varFileName
End Function

Function ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
Optional ByRef Flags As Variant, _
Optional ByVal InitialDir As Variant, _
Optional ByVal Filter As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FilterIndex As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DefaultExt As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FileName As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DialogTitle As Variant, _
Optional ByVal hwnd As Variant, _
Optional ByVal OpenFile As Variant) As
Variant
' This is the entry point you'll use to call the
common
' file open/save dialog. The parameters are listed
' below, and all are optional.
'
' In:
' Flags: one or more of the ahtOFN_* constants, OR'd
together.
' InitialDir: the directory in which to first look
' Filter: a set of file filters, set up by calling
' AddFilterItem. See examples.
' FilterIndex: 1-based integer indicating which filter
' set to use, by default (1 if unspecified)
' DefaultExt: Extension to use if the user doesn't
enter
one.
' Only useful on file saves.
' FileName: Default value for the file name text box.
' DialogTitle: Title for the dialog.
' hWnd: parent window handle
' OpenFile: Boolean(True=Open File/False=Save As)
' Out:
' Return Value: Either Null or the selected filename
Dim OFN As tagOPENFILENAME
Dim strFilename As String
Dim strFileTitle As String
Dim fResult As Boolean
' Give the dialog a caption title.
If IsMissing(InitialDir) Then InitialDir = CurDir
If IsMissing(Filter) Then Filter = ""
If IsMissing(FilterIndex) Then FilterIndex = 1
If IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = 0&
If IsMissing(DefaultExt) Then DefaultExt = ""
If IsMissing(FileName) Then FileName = ""
If IsMissing(DialogTitle) Then DialogTitle = ""
If IsMissing(hwnd) Then hwnd =
Application.hWndAccessApp
If IsMissing(OpenFile) Then OpenFile = True
' Allocate string space for the returned strings.
strFilename = Left(FileName & String(256, 0), 256)
strFileTitle = String(256, 0)
' Set up the data structure before you call the
function
With OFN
.lStructSize = Len(OFN)
.hwndOwner = hwnd
.strFilter = Filter
.nFilterIndex = FilterIndex
.strFile = strFilename
.nMaxFile = Len(strFilename)
.strFileTitle = strFileTitle
.nMaxFileTitle = Len(strFileTitle)
.strTitle = DialogTitle
.Flags = Flags
.strDefExt = DefaultExt
.strInitialDir = InitialDir
' Didn't think most people would want to deal
with
' these options.
.hInstance = 0
'.strCustomFilter = ""
'.nMaxCustFilter = 0
.lpfnHook = 0
'New for NT 4.0
.strCustomFilter = String(255, 0)
.nMaxCustFilter = 255
End With
' This will pass the desired data structure to the
' Windows API, which will in turn it uses to
display
' the Open/Save As Dialog.
If OpenFile Then
fResult = aht_apiGetOpenFileName(OFN)
Else
fResult = aht_apiGetSaveFileName(OFN)
End If

' The function call filled in the strFileTitle
member
' of the structure. You'll have to write special
code
' to retrieve that if you're interested.
If fResult Then
' You might care to check the Flags member of
the
' structure to get information about the
chosen
file.
' In this example, if you bothered to pass in
a
' value for Flags, we'll fill it in with the
outgoing
' Flags value.
If Not IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = OFN.Flags
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = TrimNull(OFN.strFile)
Else
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = vbNullString
End If
End Function

Function ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter As String, _
strDescription As String, Optional varItem As
Variant) As String
' Tack a new chunk onto the file filter.
' That is, take the old value, stick onto it the
description,
' (like "Databases"), a null character, the skeleton
' (like "*.mdb;*.mda") and a final null character.

If IsMissing(varItem) Then varItem = "*.*"
ahtAddFilterItem = strFilter & _
strDescription & vbNullChar & _
varItem & vbNullChar
End Function

Private Function TrimNull(ByVal strItem As String) As
String
Dim intPos As Integer
intPos = InStr(strItem, vbNullChar)
If intPos 0 Then
TrimNull = Left(strItem, intPos - 1)
Else
TrimNull = strItem
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'***end copy***


"Michelle" wrote
in
message
. ..
Mark, Thanks! I appreciate the detail steps. And
it's
embarrassing when I can't follow them!
I'm getting an error message: run-time error '2465'
Microsoft Access can't find the field 'FilePath'
referred
to in your expresion. I can't get from design view
to
form view because of it.

On my Animals table I added FilePath as a text
field.
And
in my Animals form (confusing names, I know) I added
the
picture (which I had to put a box around so I could
find
it!), deleted the actual picture/path and called the
field: ImageControl. Should the picture type
be "linked"
rather than "embedded"?

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me!FilePath
End Sub

I don't understand why this didn't work.

So I commented it out, and then I get a compile
error:
expected variable or procedure, not module
and remembered to name the module: GetTheFilenamemdl
rather than GetTheFilename. See! I can be taught.

Now, it's not liking
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
I've never seen FileDialog. This must be what you
mentioned as tweaking the file browser function as
I'm
using Access 2000. So I took a peek in the library
and
I
have these checked (and in this order):
VB for applications
Microsoft Access 9.0 object library
OLE Automation
Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library
Microsoft ActiveX Sata Objects 2.1 library

Am I salvagable? Thanks for your help, Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Hi Michelle,

For testing, you can certainly just type in the full
path
(don't need
quotes) to the image (don't forget the file's
extension
like Dog1.jpg). On
the form, add an image and select any old image from
the
wizard. Once the
control is on the form, you can go to properties and
erase the file path in
the "Picture" property. Now you have a blank
(unbound)
image control.

In my test form I whipped up to refresh my memory, I
just
used the default
name of the control, which happened to be "Image7".
Since the file path is
saved with the record, you'll always get the correct
image for the record
being displayed.

When your user clicks on the image (or blank image
box
if
there's no image
assigned yet), the full filename with path is stored
in
the FilePath field
for that record and the form's recordset is
requeried
to
update the image.
The ImageControl's OnClick event:
'*********code start************
Private Sub ImageControl_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the
file")
If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If
Me!FilePath = strFilename
lngID = Me!ItemID
strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

'********code end************

In a regular module (for the file requestor),
'********code start********
Function GetTheFilename(strTitle As String) As
String
Dim strFilename As String
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant

On Error GoTo Err_GetFilename
Set dlgFilePick = Application.FileDialog
(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With dlgFilePick
.Title = strTitle
'Let user select only one file
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
'The user pressed the action button.
GetTheFilename = .SelectedItems(1)

Else
'The user pressed Cancel.
GetTheFilename = "Cancelled"
End If
End With

Exit_GetFilename:
Set dlgFilePick = Nothing
Exit Function
Err_GetFilename:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & ": " &
Err.Description, ,
"GetTheFilename"
Resume Exit_GetFilename
End Function
'********code end************

I'm using Access2003, so the file browser function
might
need tweaking for
older versions.
Hope this helps!

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
l...
I like the sound of that! I only have 5 pictures
so
far
and they are slow to load.

I want to try it! I created a new text field
(FilePath)
in
table Animals. My file path for the 1st picture
is
C:\My Documents\My Pictures\Dog1
so I enter the above path in the Animals table,
FilePath
field for Dog1's record. Correct? Do I need the
file
path in quotes?

How do I create an unbound image control on the
form? I
see the tool bar offers "image", "unbound object
frame"
and a "bound object frame"- all of which want me
to
select
the image now. What am I missing to get an
unbound
image
control?

I'm confused about: Me.Image7.Picture = Me!
FilePath
Does Image7 mean something? Is that the name of
your
image in the record? If so, how does the record
know
which picture to show for which record- must be by
the
file path name...

You said "When you click the image control, the
user
browses to the picture they want to assign to the
current
record."- that sounds cool! So I set up the
unbound
image
control once in the table and then the user gets
to
choose
the picture, so that the user is never in the
table-
correct? That would be excellent!

Thanks for the guidance!
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
I used to have an ID badge database that stored
the
digital pictures in an
OLE field. There was an OLE control on the form
which,
when clicked, would
let you browse to select the file. With only 100
or
so
employee records, the
database bloated to over 200Mb. I have since
modified
the database to get
rid of the OLE field and control. I'm now storing
the
path to the picture
in a text field called FilePath and the database
is
under
200Kb. I've got
an unbound image control on the form, and in the
form's
OnCurrent event I
have:

Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath

which will change the picture to match the picture
you
assigned to the
current record. When you click the image control,
the
user browses to the
picture they want to assign to the current record.
It
works with both JPG
and BMP files.

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
news:1e2501c51ce8$2bf6eb80$a401280a@phx. gbl...
Sorry about that!
I have form that I want to show a digital camera
picture.
I have the table field set up as an OLE Object.

Can I load the picture from the form, or do I
need
to
go
to the table, find the correct record for the
field,
select Insert object and the browse to the
correct
digital
camera picture? There's got to be an easier way
for
end-
users!

I see that bitmap is an option, but my digital
camera
pictures are jpg. How do I upload these?

Thanks,
Mich


.




.



.



.



.

WE HAVE VICTORY!!! You Rock! How did you get so good?! I
appreciate you seeing me though the drama. It's so
fabulous! Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Yeah, my brain is running out of steam. I think we need
to check for null
instead of empty:

If IsNull(Me.ImagePath) Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

I always have to play around with the IsNull vs ="" to
get certain things to
work right.

"Michelle" wrote in
message
...
Hmm. I now have:

Private Sub Form_Current()
If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If
End Sub

but it's still giving the same error. I'm on Record1
(path) and naviagte to Record2 (no real path), I get the
error and when I go to debug Me.ImagePicture.Picture =
Me.ImagePath is showing the path from Record1. I can't
tell if thinks it's on record1 or thinks record2 has
record1's path. In any case, it doesn't think it's null
when it is. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
All you need to do is check to see if there's a path
stored, and if not just
set the Picture property to nothing:

If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

"Michelle" wrote in
message
.. .
Yah, it's up to 40 watts now! Not quite room
temperature. But so appreciate the hand-holding!
My bad- I messed up my form by not saving one of the
modules when it asked me (several times), and I had to
create the form over- forgetting the on_current:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath

Much better now- I have picture!! (it was so
exciting!)
but not quite right.

That very code:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
is giving me grief- run-time error '94' invalid use of
null.

I took the "." vs. "!" advice (nice), but didn't need
to
use Me.txtPath=strFilename. But I did check it out
and
liked the idea so I created a field to show the
picture
path- handy when we need to update the picture.
Anyway,
Record1 has a path and a picture. When I navigate to
Record2, I get the error, see that there is no path,
yet
it has Record1's picture. Strange. I click "end"
rather
than "debug". Go on to Record 3 (no error getting
there
because Record3 has a path and a picture). Record4
(error-
no path/picture), click "end" and all the rest of my
records have no path but Record3's picture (the last
record with a picture). So, code is not happy when
there
is no picture attached to the Record, makes up it's
own
picture, and yells at me before I even have a chance
to
attach the picture. What did I do wrong now? I'm
feeling
it. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Or posts have crossed each other. If you look at my
previous (to this post)
post, you need to change the line where it checks to
see
if strFilename =
"Cancelled" to just checking if strFilename= "". The
new
functions don't
return "Cancelled" if you cancel the browser. Because
it's checking for
"Cancelled" and not seeing it, it continues the code
and
tries to store an
empty string in your table.

It looks like the little lightbulb over your head is
getting brighter and
brighter!

"Michelle" wrote
in
message
.. .
OK, now's the time to think not just paste!
Here's what I have:

Private Sub ImagePicture_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

'strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the
file")
strFilename = GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If

'Me!FilePath = strFilename
Me!ImagePath = strFilename
'lngID = Me!ItemID
lngID = Me!AnimalsID
'strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
strFind = "[AnimalsID]=" & lngID

Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

End Sub

I was getting an error message that (I think)
strFind
was
zero length. But now I'm getting nothing- no error
message, no picture. Wait here's the error:
run-time error '3315' Field 'Animals.ImagePath'
cannot
be
a zero-length string.

I did make sure that ImagePath is in the record
source
and
that the text field is 50 characters to handle the
path.

I still must be doing something wrong. So close!
Thanks,
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Michelle,
Long ago, I was given a bunch of code which was
written
back in the Access97
days, which uses calls to the Windows components to
open
the file dialog.
I'm pasting it here, but be prepared for a long
bunch
of
code! Just copy
what's between the ***start copy*** and ***end
copy***.
Paste it into a new
module; mine was called modFileRequestor...
For your image_click event use this code instead of
what
I had befo
GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

As for confusing names like table "Animals" and
form "Animals", I alway put
a three-character identifier on all my objects--
tblAnimals or frmAnimals or
qryAnimals, etc. Just for clarity, you might want
to
rename your field in
the table to "ImagePath", and maybe your image
control
on
the form to
"imgPicture". You shouldn't have to change the
image
property from
"embedded"; it won't matter since it's not being
saved
with the form. If
you still get the error about "can't find the
field..."
double-check your
form's recordsource to make sure the new path field
is
in
there.

'***start copy***
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long
pidlRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As String
lpszTitle As String
ulFlags As Long
lpfn As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Type tagOPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
strFilter As String
strCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
strFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
strFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
strInitialDir As String
strTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
strDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetOpenFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (OFN As
tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetSaveFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (OFN As
tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function CommDlgExtendedError
Lib "comdlg32.dll" () As Long
'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As
Long,
_
ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As
BROWSEINFO) _
As Long

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1
'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Const ahtOFN_READONLY = &H1
Private Const ahtOFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT = &H2
Private Const ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY = &H4
Private Const ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR = &H8
Private Const ahtOFN_SHOWHELP = &H10
Private Const ahtOFN_NOVALIDATE = &H100
Private Const ahtOFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT = &H200
Private Const ahtOFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT = &H400
Private Const ahtOFN_PATHMUSTEXIST = &H800
Private Const ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST = &H1000
Private Const ahtOFN_CREATEPROMPT = &H2000
Private Const ahtOFN_SHAREAWARE = &H4000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOREADONLYRETURN = &H8000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOTESTFILECREATE = &H10000
Private Const ahtOFN_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H20000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOLONGNAMES = &H40000
Private Const ahtOFN_EXPLORER = &H80000
Private Const ahtOFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS = &H100000
Private Const ahtOFN_LONGNAMES = &H200000

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Terry Kreft.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
'Code courtesy of
'Terry Kreft

Function BrowseFolder(szDialogTitle As String) As
String
Dim x As Long, bi As BROWSEINFO, dwIList As Long
Dim szPath As String, wPos As Integer

With bi
.hOwner = hWndAccessApp
.lpszTitle = szDialogTitle
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With

dwIList = SHBrowseForFolder(bi)
szPath = Space$(512)
x = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal dwIList, ByVal
szPath)

If x Then
wPos = InStr(szPath, Chr(0))
BrowseFolder = Left$(szPath, wPos - 1)
Else
BrowseFolder = vbNullString
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************

'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Ken Getz.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
' Code courtesy of:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' Waite Group Press, 1996

Function GetOpenFile(Optional varDirectory As
Variant, _
Optional varTitleForDialog As Variant, Optional
varFiletype As Variant)
As Variant
' Here's an example that gets an Access database
name.
Dim strFilter As String
Dim lngFlags As Long
Dim varFileName As Variant
' Specify that the chosen file must already exist,
' don't change directories when you're done
' Also, don't bother displaying
' the read-only box. It'll only confuse people.
lngFlags = ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST Or _
ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY Or
ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR
If IsMissing(varDirectory) Then
varDirectory = ""
End If
If IsMissing(varTitleForDialog) Then
varTitleForDialog = ""
End If

' Define the filter string and allocate space in
the "c"
' string Duplicate this line with changes as
necessary for
' more file templates.
strFilter = ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter, _
"Pictures
(*.jpg,*.bmp)", "*.jpg;*.bmp")
' Now actually call to get the file name.
varFileName = ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
OpenFile:=True, _
InitialDir:=varDirectory, _
Filter:=strFilter, _
Flags:=lngFlags, _
DialogTitle:=varTitleForDialog)
If Not IsNull(varFileName) Then
varFileName = TrimNull(varFileName)
End If
GetOpenFile = varFileName
End Function

Function ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
Optional ByRef Flags As Variant, _
Optional ByVal InitialDir As Variant, _
Optional ByVal Filter As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FilterIndex As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DefaultExt As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FileName As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DialogTitle As Variant, _
Optional ByVal hwnd As Variant, _
Optional ByVal OpenFile As Variant) As
Variant
' This is the entry point you'll use to call the
common
' file open/save dialog. The parameters are listed
' below, and all are optional.
'
' In:
' Flags: one or more of the ahtOFN_* constants, OR'd
together.
' InitialDir: the directory in which to first look
' Filter: a set of file filters, set up by calling
' AddFilterItem. See examples.
' FilterIndex: 1-based integer indicating which
filter
' set to use, by default (1 if unspecified)
' DefaultExt: Extension to use if the user doesn't
enter
one.
' Only useful on file saves.
' FileName: Default value for the file name text
box.
' DialogTitle: Title for the dialog.
' hWnd: parent window handle
' OpenFile: Boolean(True=Open File/False=Save As)
' Out:
' Return Value: Either Null or the selected filename
Dim OFN As tagOPENFILENAME
Dim strFilename As String
Dim strFileTitle As String
Dim fResult As Boolean
' Give the dialog a caption title.
If IsMissing(InitialDir) Then InitialDir =
CurDir
If IsMissing(Filter) Then Filter = ""
If IsMissing(FilterIndex) Then FilterIndex = 1
If IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = 0&
If IsMissing(DefaultExt) Then DefaultExt = ""
If IsMissing(FileName) Then FileName = ""
If IsMissing(DialogTitle) Then DialogTitle = ""
If IsMissing(hwnd) Then hwnd =
Application.hWndAccessApp
If IsMissing(OpenFile) Then OpenFile = True
' Allocate string space for the returned
strings.
strFilename = Left(FileName & String(256, 0),
256)
strFileTitle = String(256, 0)
' Set up the data structure before you call the
function
With OFN
.lStructSize = Len(OFN)
.hwndOwner = hwnd
.strFilter = Filter
.nFilterIndex = FilterIndex
.strFile = strFilename
.nMaxFile = Len(strFilename)
.strFileTitle = strFileTitle
.nMaxFileTitle = Len(strFileTitle)
.strTitle = DialogTitle
.Flags = Flags
.strDefExt = DefaultExt
.strInitialDir = InitialDir
' Didn't think most people would want to
deal
with
' these options.
.hInstance = 0
'.strCustomFilter = ""
'.nMaxCustFilter = 0
.lpfnHook = 0
'New for NT 4.0
.strCustomFilter = String(255, 0)
.nMaxCustFilter = 255
End With
' This will pass the desired data structure to
the
' Windows API, which will in turn it uses to
display
' the Open/Save As Dialog.
If OpenFile Then
fResult = aht_apiGetOpenFileName(OFN)
Else
fResult = aht_apiGetSaveFileName(OFN)
End If

' The function call filled in the strFileTitle
member
' of the structure. You'll have to write special
code
' to retrieve that if you're interested.
If fResult Then
' You might care to check the Flags member
of
the
' structure to get information about the
chosen
file.
' In this example, if you bothered to pass
in
a
' value for Flags, we'll fill it in with the
outgoing
' Flags value.
If Not IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags =
OFN.Flags
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = TrimNull
(OFN.strFile)
Else
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = vbNullString
End If
End Function

Function ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter As String, _
strDescription As String, Optional varItem As
Variant) As String
' Tack a new chunk onto the file filter.
' That is, take the old value, stick onto it the
description,
' (like "Databases"), a null character, the skeleton
' (like "*.mdb;*.mda") and a final null character.

If IsMissing(varItem) Then varItem = "*.*"
ahtAddFilterItem = strFilter & _
strDescription & vbNullChar & _
varItem & vbNullChar
End Function

Private Function TrimNull(ByVal strItem As String)
As
String
Dim intPos As Integer
intPos = InStr(strItem, vbNullChar)
If intPos 0 Then
TrimNull = Left(strItem, intPos - 1)
Else
TrimNull = strItem
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'****************************************
'***end copy***


"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
...
Mark, Thanks! I appreciate the detail steps. And
it's
embarrassing when I can't follow them!
I'm getting an error message: run-time
error '2465'
Microsoft Access can't find the field 'FilePath'
referred
to in your expresion. I can't get from design
view
to
form view because of it.

On my Animals table I added FilePath as a text
field.
And
in my Animals form (confusing names, I know) I
added
the
picture (which I had to put a box around so I
could
find
it!), deleted the actual picture/path and called
the
field: ImageControl. Should the picture type
be "linked"
rather than "embedded"?

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me!FilePath
End Sub

I don't understand why this didn't work.

So I commented it out, and then I get a compile
error:
expected variable or procedure, not module
and remembered to name the module:
GetTheFilenamemdl
rather than GetTheFilename. See! I can be taught.

Now, it's not liking
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
I've never seen FileDialog. This must be what you
mentioned as tweaking the file browser function as
I'm
using Access 2000. So I took a peek in the
library
and
I
have these checked (and in this order):
VB for applications
Microsoft Access 9.0 object library
OLE Automation
Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library
Microsoft ActiveX Sata Objects 2.1 library

Am I salvagable? Thanks for your help, Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Hi Michelle,

For testing, you can certainly just type in the
full
path
(don't need
quotes) to the image (don't forget the file's
extension
like Dog1.jpg). On
the form, add an image and select any old image
from
the
wizard. Once the
control is on the form, you can go to properties
and
erase the file path in
the "Picture" property. Now you have a blank
(unbound)
image control.

In my test form I whipped up to refresh my
memory, I
just
used the default
name of the control, which happened to
be "Image7".
Since the file path is
saved with the record, you'll always get the
correct
image for the record
being displayed.

When your user clicks on the image (or blank image
box
if
there's no image
assigned yet), the full filename with path is
stored
in
the FilePath field
for that record and the form's recordset is
requeried
to
update the image.
The ImageControl's OnClick event:
'*********code start************
Private Sub ImageControl_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the
file")
If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If
Me!FilePath = strFilename
lngID = Me!ItemID
strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

'********code end************

In a regular module (for the file requestor),
'********code start********
Function GetTheFilename(strTitle As String) As
String
Dim strFilename As String
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant

On Error GoTo Err_GetFilename
Set dlgFilePick = Application.FileDialog
(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With dlgFilePick
.Title = strTitle
'Let user select only one file
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
'The user pressed the action button.
GetTheFilename = .SelectedItems(1)

Else
'The user pressed Cancel.
GetTheFilename = "Cancelled"
End If
End With

Exit_GetFilename:
Set dlgFilePick = Nothing
Exit Function
Err_GetFilename:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & ": " &
Err.Description, ,
"GetTheFilename"
Resume Exit_GetFilename
End Function
'********code end************

I'm using Access2003, so the file browser function
might
need tweaking for
older versions.
Hope this helps!

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
bl...
I like the sound of that! I only have 5 pictures
so
far
and they are slow to load.

I want to try it! I created a new text field
(FilePath)
in
table Animals. My file path for the 1st picture
is
C:\My Documents\My Pictures\Dog1
so I enter the above path in the Animals table,
FilePath
field for Dog1's record. Correct? Do I need
the
file
path in quotes?

How do I create an unbound image control on the
form? I
see the tool bar offers "image", "unbound object
frame"
and a "bound object frame"- all of which want me
to
select
the image now. What am I missing to get an
unbound
image
control?

I'm confused about: Me.Image7.Picture = Me!
FilePath
Does Image7 mean something? Is that the name of
your
image in the record? If so, how does the record
know
which picture to show for which record- must be
by
the
file path name...

You said "When you click the image control, the
user
browses to the picture they want to assign to
the
current
record."- that sounds cool! So I set up the
unbound
image
control once in the table and then the user gets
to
choose
the picture, so that the user is never in the
table-
correct? That would be excellent!

Thanks for the guidance!
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
I used to have an ID badge database that stored
the
digital pictures in an
OLE field. There was an OLE control on the form
which,
when clicked, would
let you browse to select the file. With only 100
or
so
employee records, the
database bloated to over 200Mb. I have since
modified
the database to get
rid of the OLE field and control. I'm now
storing
the
path to the picture
in a text field called FilePath and the database
is
under
200Kb. I've got
an unbound image control on the form, and in the
form's
OnCurrent event I
have:

Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath

which will change the picture to match the
picture
you
assigned to the
current record. When you click the image
control,
the
user browses to the
picture they want to assign to the current
record.
It
works with both JPG
and BMP files.

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
news:1e2501c51ce8$2bf6eb80$a401280a@phx .gbl...
Sorry about that!
I have form that I want to show a digital
camera
picture.
I have the table field set up as an OLE
Object.

Can I load the picture from the form, or do I
need
to
go
to the table, find the correct record for the
field,
select Insert object and the browse to the
correct
digital
camera picture? There's got to be an easier
way
for
end-
users!

I see that bitmap is an option, but my digital
camera
pictures are jpg. How do I upload these?

Thanks,
Mich


.




.



.



.



.



.

Most excellent, Michelle. Glad to help. Sometimes the best way to learn
something is by trying and failing, then figuring out how to make it work.
It seems the hardest learned lessons are the ones we remember forever. Most
everything I know I owe to people that helped me when I asked, and the rest
was trial and error.

One last thing, if you want to, you can comment out everything in the
OnClick code after you've selected (or cancelled) the 'browse for picture'.
After a little playing around, it turns out you don't really need to requery
the database for the picture to show up. I guess I was doing it to
automatically save the record; if you don't requery, the record is still in
"edit mode". You can probably go the next step by giving the user the
option to clear a picture from the record by programming a command button to
update the record by setting the field value to Null.

"Michelle" wrote in message
...
WE HAVE VICTORY!!! You Rock! How did you get so good?! I
appreciate you seeing me though the drama. It's so
fabulous! Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Yeah, my brain is running out of steam. I think we need
to check for null
instead of empty:

If IsNull(Me.ImagePath) Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

I always have to play around with the IsNull vs ="" to
get certain things to
work right.

"Michelle" wrote in
message
...
Hmm. I now have:

Private Sub Form_Current()
If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If
End Sub

but it's still giving the same error. I'm on Record1
(path) and naviagte to Record2 (no real path), I get the
error and when I go to debug Me.ImagePicture.Picture =
Me.ImagePath is showing the path from Record1. I can't
tell if thinks it's on record1 or thinks record2 has
record1's path. In any case, it doesn't think it's null
when it is. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
All you need to do is check to see if there's a path
stored, and if not just
set the Picture property to nothing:

If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

"Michelle" wrote in
message
. ..
Yah, it's up to 40 watts now! Not quite room
temperature. But so appreciate the hand-holding!
My bad- I messed up my form by not saving one of the
modules when it asked me (several times), and I had to
create the form over- forgetting the on_current:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath

Much better now- I have picture!! (it was so
exciting!)
but not quite right.

That very code:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
is giving me grief- run-time error '94' invalid use of
null.

I took the "." vs. "!" advice (nice), but didn't need
to
use Me.txtPath=strFilename. But I did check it out
and
liked the idea so I created a field to show the
picture
path- handy when we need to update the picture.
Anyway,
Record1 has a path and a picture. When I navigate to
Record2, I get the error, see that there is no path,
yet
it has Record1's picture. Strange. I click "end"
rather
than "debug". Go on to Record 3 (no error getting
there
because Record3 has a path and a picture). Record4
(error-
no path/picture), click "end" and all the rest of my
records have no path but Record3's picture (the last
record with a picture). So, code is not happy when
there
is no picture attached to the Record, makes up it's
own
picture, and yells at me before I even have a chance
to
attach the picture. What did I do wrong now? I'm
feeling
it. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Or posts have crossed each other. If you look at my
previous (to this post)
post, you need to change the line where it checks to
see
if strFilename =
"Cancelled" to just checking if strFilename= "". The
new
functions don't
return "Cancelled" if you cancel the browser. Because
it's checking for
"Cancelled" and not seeing it, it continues the code
and
tries to store an
empty string in your table.

It looks like the little lightbulb over your head is
getting brighter and
brighter!

"Michelle" wrote
in
message
. ..
OK, now's the time to think not just paste!
Here's what I have:

Private Sub ImagePicture_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

'strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the
file")
strFilename = GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If

'Me!FilePath = strFilename
Me!ImagePath = strFilename
'lngID = Me!ItemID
lngID = Me!AnimalsID
'strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
strFind = "[AnimalsID]=" & lngID

Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

End Sub

I was getting an error message that (I think)
strFind
was
zero length. But now I'm getting nothing- no error
message, no picture. Wait here's the error:
run-time error '3315' Field 'Animals.ImagePath'
cannot
be
a zero-length string.

I did make sure that ImagePath is in the record
source
and
that the text field is 50 characters to handle the
path.

I still must be doing something wrong. So close!
Thanks,
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Michelle,
Long ago, I was given a bunch of code which was
written
back in the Access97
days, which uses calls to the Windows components to
open
the file dialog.
I'm pasting it here, but be prepared for a long
bunch
of
code! Just copy
what's between the ***start copy*** and ***end
copy***.
Paste it into a new
module; mine was called modFileRequestor...
For your image_click event use this code instead of
what
I had befo
GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

As for confusing names like table "Animals" and
form "Animals", I alway put
a three-character identifier on all my objects--
tblAnimals or frmAnimals or
qryAnimals, etc. Just for clarity, you might want
to
rename your field in
the table to "ImagePath", and maybe your image
control
on
the form to
"imgPicture". You shouldn't have to change the
image
property from
"embedded"; it won't matter since it's not being
saved
with the form. If
you still get the error about "can't find the
field..."
double-check your
form's recordsource to make sure the new path field
is
in
there.

'***start copy***
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long
pidlRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As String
lpszTitle As String
ulFlags As Long
lpfn As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Type tagOPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
strFilter As String
strCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
strFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
strFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
strInitialDir As String
strTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
strDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetOpenFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (OFN As
tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetSaveFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (OFN As
tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function CommDlgExtendedError
Lib "comdlg32.dll" () As Long
'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As
Long,
_
ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As
BROWSEINFO) _
As Long

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1
'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Const ahtOFN_READONLY = &H1
Private Const ahtOFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT = &H2
Private Const ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY = &H4
Private Const ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR = &H8
Private Const ahtOFN_SHOWHELP = &H10
Private Const ahtOFN_NOVALIDATE = &H100
Private Const ahtOFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT = &H200
Private Const ahtOFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT = &H400
Private Const ahtOFN_PATHMUSTEXIST = &H800
Private Const ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST = &H1000
Private Const ahtOFN_CREATEPROMPT = &H2000
Private Const ahtOFN_SHAREAWARE = &H4000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOREADONLYRETURN = &H8000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOTESTFILECREATE = &H10000
Private Const ahtOFN_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H20000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOLONGNAMES = &H40000
Private Const ahtOFN_EXPLORER = &H80000
Private Const ahtOFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS = &H100000
Private Const ahtOFN_LONGNAMES = &H200000

'*************************************** *
'*************************************** *
'*************************************** *
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Terry Kreft.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
'Code courtesy of
'Terry Kreft

Function BrowseFolder(szDialogTitle As String) As
String
Dim x As Long, bi As BROWSEINFO, dwIList As Long
Dim szPath As String, wPos As Integer

With bi
.hOwner = hWndAccessApp
.lpszTitle = szDialogTitle
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With

dwIList = SHBrowseForFolder(bi)
szPath = Space$(512)
x = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal dwIList, ByVal
szPath)

If x Then
wPos = InStr(szPath, Chr(0))
BrowseFolder = Left$(szPath, wPos - 1)
Else
BrowseFolder = vbNullString
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'*************************************** *
'*************************************** *
'*************************************** *

'*************************************** *
'*************************************** *
'*************************************** *
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Ken Getz.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
' Code courtesy of:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' Waite Group Press, 1996

Function GetOpenFile(Optional varDirectory As
Variant, _
Optional varTitleForDialog As Variant, Optional
varFiletype As Variant)
As Variant
' Here's an example that gets an Access database
name.
Dim strFilter As String
Dim lngFlags As Long
Dim varFileName As Variant
' Specify that the chosen file must already exist,
' don't change directories when you're done
' Also, don't bother displaying
' the read-only box. It'll only confuse people.
lngFlags = ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST Or _
ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY Or
ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR
If IsMissing(varDirectory) Then
varDirectory = ""
End If
If IsMissing(varTitleForDialog) Then
varTitleForDialog = ""
End If

' Define the filter string and allocate space in
the "c"
' string Duplicate this line with changes as
necessary for
' more file templates.
strFilter = ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter, _
"Pictures
(*.jpg,*.bmp)", "*.jpg;*.bmp")
' Now actually call to get the file name.
varFileName = ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
OpenFile:=True, _
InitialDir:=varDirectory, _
Filter:=strFilter, _
Flags:=lngFlags, _
DialogTitle:=varTitleForDialog)
If Not IsNull(varFileName) Then
varFileName = TrimNull(varFileName)
End If
GetOpenFile = varFileName
End Function

Function ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
Optional ByRef Flags As Variant, _
Optional ByVal InitialDir As Variant, _
Optional ByVal Filter As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FilterIndex As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DefaultExt As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FileName As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DialogTitle As Variant, _
Optional ByVal hwnd As Variant, _
Optional ByVal OpenFile As Variant) As
Variant
' This is the entry point you'll use to call the
common
' file open/save dialog. The parameters are listed
' below, and all are optional.
'
' In:
' Flags: one or more of the ahtOFN_* constants, OR'd
together.
' InitialDir: the directory in which to first look
' Filter: a set of file filters, set up by calling
' AddFilterItem. See examples.
' FilterIndex: 1-based integer indicating which
filter
' set to use, by default (1 if unspecified)
' DefaultExt: Extension to use if the user doesn't
enter
one.
' Only useful on file saves.
' FileName: Default value for the file name text
box.
' DialogTitle: Title for the dialog.
' hWnd: parent window handle
' OpenFile: Boolean(True=Open File/False=Save As)
' Out:
' Return Value: Either Null or the selected filename
Dim OFN As tagOPENFILENAME
Dim strFilename As String
Dim strFileTitle As String
Dim fResult As Boolean
' Give the dialog a caption title.
If IsMissing(InitialDir) Then InitialDir =
CurDir
If IsMissing(Filter) Then Filter = ""
If IsMissing(FilterIndex) Then FilterIndex = 1
If IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = 0&
If IsMissing(DefaultExt) Then DefaultExt = ""
If IsMissing(FileName) Then FileName = ""
If IsMissing(DialogTitle) Then DialogTitle = ""
If IsMissing(hwnd) Then hwnd =
Application.hWndAccessApp
If IsMissing(OpenFile) Then OpenFile = True
' Allocate string space for the returned
strings.
strFilename = Left(FileName & String(256, 0),
256)
strFileTitle = String(256, 0)
' Set up the data structure before you call the
function
With OFN
.lStructSize = Len(OFN)
.hwndOwner = hwnd
.strFilter = Filter
.nFilterIndex = FilterIndex
.strFile = strFilename
.nMaxFile = Len(strFilename)
.strFileTitle = strFileTitle
.nMaxFileTitle = Len(strFileTitle)
.strTitle = DialogTitle
.Flags = Flags
.strDefExt = DefaultExt
.strInitialDir = InitialDir
' Didn't think most people would want to
deal
with
' these options.
.hInstance = 0
'.strCustomFilter = ""
'.nMaxCustFilter = 0
.lpfnHook = 0
'New for NT 4.0
.strCustomFilter = String(255, 0)
.nMaxCustFilter = 255
End With
' This will pass the desired data structure to
the
' Windows API, which will in turn it uses to
display
' the Open/Save As Dialog.
If OpenFile Then
fResult = aht_apiGetOpenFileName(OFN)
Else
fResult = aht_apiGetSaveFileName(OFN)
End If

' The function call filled in the strFileTitle
member
' of the structure. You'll have to write special
code
' to retrieve that if you're interested.
If fResult Then
' You might care to check the Flags member
of
the
' structure to get information about the
chosen
file.
' In this example, if you bothered to pass
in
a
' value for Flags, we'll fill it in with the
outgoing
' Flags value.
If Not IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags =
OFN.Flags
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = TrimNull
(OFN.strFile)
Else
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = vbNullString
End If
End Function

Function ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter As String, _
strDescription As String, Optional varItem As
Variant) As String
' Tack a new chunk onto the file filter.
' That is, take the old value, stick onto it the
description,
' (like "Databases"), a null character, the skeleton
' (like "*.mdb;*.mda") and a final null character.

If IsMissing(varItem) Then varItem = "*.*"
ahtAddFilterItem = strFilter & _
strDescription & vbNullChar & _
varItem & vbNullChar
End Function

Private Function TrimNull(ByVal strItem As String)
As
String
Dim intPos As Integer
intPos = InStr(strItem, vbNullChar)
If intPos 0 Then
TrimNull = Left(strItem, intPos - 1)
Else
TrimNull = strItem
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'*************************************** *
'*************************************** *
'*************************************** *
'***end copy***


"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
l...
Mark, Thanks! I appreciate the detail steps. And
it's
embarrassing when I can't follow them!
I'm getting an error message: run-time
error '2465'
Microsoft Access can't find the field 'FilePath'
referred
to in your expresion. I can't get from design
view
to
form view because of it.

On my Animals table I added FilePath as a text
field.
And
in my Animals form (confusing names, I know) I
added
the
picture (which I had to put a box around so I
could
find
it!), deleted the actual picture/path and called
the
field: ImageControl. Should the picture type
be "linked"
rather than "embedded"?

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me!FilePath
End Sub

I don't understand why this didn't work.

So I commented it out, and then I get a compile
error:
expected variable or procedure, not module
and remembered to name the module:
GetTheFilenamemdl
rather than GetTheFilename. See! I can be taught.

Now, it's not liking
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
I've never seen FileDialog. This must be what you
mentioned as tweaking the file browser function as
I'm
using Access 2000. So I took a peek in the
library
and
I
have these checked (and in this order):
VB for applications
Microsoft Access 9.0 object library
OLE Automation
Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library
Microsoft ActiveX Sata Objects 2.1 library

Am I salvagable? Thanks for your help, Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Hi Michelle,

For testing, you can certainly just type in the
full
path
(don't need
quotes) to the image (don't forget the file's
extension
like Dog1.jpg). On
the form, add an image and select any old image
from
the
wizard. Once the
control is on the form, you can go to properties
and
erase the file path in
the "Picture" property. Now you have a blank
(unbound)
image control.

In my test form I whipped up to refresh my
memory, I
just
used the default
name of the control, which happened to
be "Image7".
Since the file path is
saved with the record, you'll always get the
correct
image for the record
being displayed.

When your user clicks on the image (or blank image
box
if
there's no image
assigned yet), the full filename with path is
stored
in
the FilePath field
for that record and the form's recordset is
requeried
to
update the image.
The ImageControl's OnClick event:
'*********code start************
Private Sub ImageControl_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the
file")
If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If
Me!FilePath = strFilename
lngID = Me!ItemID
strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

'********code end************

In a regular module (for the file requestor),
'********code start********
Function GetTheFilename(strTitle As String) As
String
Dim strFilename As String
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant

On Error GoTo Err_GetFilename
Set dlgFilePick = Application.FileDialog
(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With dlgFilePick
.Title = strTitle
'Let user select only one file
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
'The user pressed the action button.
GetTheFilename = .SelectedItems(1)

Else
'The user pressed Cancel.
GetTheFilename = "Cancelled"
End If
End With

Exit_GetFilename:
Set dlgFilePick = Nothing
Exit Function
Err_GetFilename:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & ": " &
Err.Description, ,
"GetTheFilename"
Resume Exit_GetFilename
End Function
'********code end************

I'm using Access2003, so the file browser function
might
need tweaking for
older versions.
Hope this helps!

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
news:1eae01c51d08$341f2f50$a401280a@phx. gbl...
I like the sound of that! I only have 5 pictures
so
far
and they are slow to load.

I want to try it! I created a new text field
(FilePath)
in
table Animals. My file path for the 1st picture
is
C:\My Documents\My Pictures\Dog1
so I enter the above path in the Animals table,
FilePath
field for Dog1's record. Correct? Do I need
the
file
path in quotes?

How do I create an unbound image control on the
form? I
see the tool bar offers "image", "unbound object
frame"
and a "bound object frame"- all of which want me
to
select
the image now. What am I missing to get an
unbound
image
control?

I'm confused about: Me.Image7.Picture = Me!
FilePath
Does Image7 mean something? Is that the name of
your
image in the record? If so, how does the record
know
which picture to show for which record- must be
by
the
file path name...

You said "When you click the image control, the
user
browses to the picture they want to assign to
the
current
record."- that sounds cool! So I set up the
unbound
image
control once in the table and then the user gets
to
choose
the picture, so that the user is never in the
table-
correct? That would be excellent!

Thanks for the guidance!
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
I used to have an ID badge database that stored
the
digital pictures in an
OLE field. There was an OLE control on the form
which,
when clicked, would
let you browse to select the file. With only 100
or
so
employee records, the
database bloated to over 200Mb. I have since
modified
the database to get
rid of the OLE field and control. I'm now
storing
the
path to the picture
in a text field called FilePath and the database
is
under
200Kb. I've got
an unbound image control on the form, and in the
form's
OnCurrent event I
have:

Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath

which will change the picture to match the
picture
you
assigned to the
current record. When you click the image
control,
the
user browses to the
picture they want to assign to the current
record.
It
works with both JPG
and BMP files.

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
news:1e2501c51ce8$2bf6eb80$a401280a@ph x.gbl...
Sorry about that!
I have form that I want to show a digital
camera
picture.
I have the table field set up as an OLE
Object.

Can I load the picture from the form, or do I
need
to
go
to the table, find the correct record for the
field,
select Insert object and the browse to the
correct
digital
camera picture? There's got to be an easier
way
for
end-
users!

I see that bitmap is an option, but my digital
camera
pictures are jpg. How do I upload these?

Thanks,
Mich


.




.



.



.



.



.

Thanks. I think I'll leave it as is- since the user isn't
creating a new record, I worry that they'll forget to
save. I did discover that with my text field to show the
path- if I erase that path, the picture disappears, or of
course, they can just upload a new picture.

Thanks for all of the encouragement. I've learned so much
from the newsgroup but feel that I'll never know enough!
I'm certainly enjoying the journey- both the trial and
error and from kind folks like you providing the code and
then trying to figure it out. Cheers! Mich

-----Original Message-----
Most excellent, Michelle. Glad to help. Sometimes the
best way to learn
something is by trying and failing, then figuring out how
to make it work.
It seems the hardest learned lessons are the ones we
remember forever. Most
everything I know I owe to people that helped me when I
asked, and the rest
was trial and error.

One last thing, if you want to, you can comment out
everything in the
OnClick code after you've selected (or cancelled)
the 'browse for picture'.
After a little playing around, it turns out you don't
really need to requery
the database for the picture to show up. I guess I was
doing it to
automatically save the record; if you don't requery, the
record is still in
"edit mode". You can probably go the next step by giving
the user the
option to clear a picture from the record by programming
a command button to
update the record by setting the field value to Null.

"Michelle" wrote in
message
...
WE HAVE VICTORY!!! You Rock! How did you get so good?!
I
appreciate you seeing me though the drama. It's so
fabulous! Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Yeah, my brain is running out of steam. I think we need
to check for null
instead of empty:

If IsNull(Me.ImagePath) Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

I always have to play around with the IsNull vs ="" to
get certain things to
work right.

"Michelle" wrote in
message
.. .
Hmm. I now have:

Private Sub Form_Current()
If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If
End Sub

but it's still giving the same error. I'm on Record1
(path) and naviagte to Record2 (no real path), I get
the
error and when I go to debug Me.ImagePicture.Picture
=
Me.ImagePath is showing the path from Record1. I
can't
tell if thinks it's on record1 or thinks record2 has
record1's path. In any case, it doesn't think it's
null
when it is. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
All you need to do is check to see if there's a path
stored, and if not just
set the Picture property to nothing:

If Me.ImagePath = "" Then
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = ""
Else
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
End If

"Michelle" wrote
in
message
.. .
Yah, it's up to 40 watts now! Not quite room
temperature. But so appreciate the hand-holding!
My bad- I messed up my form by not saving one of the
modules when it asked me (several times), and I had
to
create the form over- forgetting the on_current:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath

Much better now- I have picture!! (it was so
exciting!)
but not quite right.

That very code:
Me.ImagePicture.Picture = Me.ImagePath
is giving me grief- run-time error '94' invalid use
of
null.

I took the "." vs. "!" advice (nice), but didn't
need
to
use Me.txtPath=strFilename. But I did check it out
and
liked the idea so I created a field to show the
picture
path- handy when we need to update the picture.
Anyway,
Record1 has a path and a picture. When I navigate
to
Record2, I get the error, see that there is no path,
yet
it has Record1's picture. Strange. I click "end"
rather
than "debug". Go on to Record 3 (no error getting
there
because Record3 has a path and a picture). Record4
(error-
no path/picture), click "end" and all the rest of my
records have no path but Record3's picture (the last
record with a picture). So, code is not happy when
there
is no picture attached to the Record, makes up it's
own
picture, and yells at me before I even have a chance
to
attach the picture. What did I do wrong now? I'm
feeling
it. Thanks, Mich

-----Original Message-----
Or posts have crossed each other. If you look at my
previous (to this post)
post, you need to change the line where it checks to
see
if strFilename =
"Cancelled" to just checking if strFilename= "".
The
new
functions don't
return "Cancelled" if you cancel the browser.
Because
it's checking for
"Cancelled" and not seeing it, it continues the code
and
tries to store an
empty string in your table.

It looks like the little lightbulb over your head is
getting brighter and
brighter!

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
...
OK, now's the time to think not just paste!
Here's what I have:

Private Sub ImagePicture_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

'strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the
file")
strFilename = GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a
file")

If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If

'Me!FilePath = strFilename
Me!ImagePath = strFilename
'lngID = Me!ItemID
lngID = Me!AnimalsID
'strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
strFind = "[AnimalsID]=" & lngID

Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

End Sub

I was getting an error message that (I think)
strFind
was
zero length. But now I'm getting nothing- no
error
message, no picture. Wait here's the error:
run-time error '3315' Field 'Animals.ImagePath'
cannot
be
a zero-length string.

I did make sure that ImagePath is in the record
source
and
that the text field is 50 characters to handle the
path.

I still must be doing something wrong. So close!
Thanks,
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Michelle,
Long ago, I was given a bunch of code which was
written
back in the Access97
days, which uses calls to the Windows components
to
open
the file dialog.
I'm pasting it here, but be prepared for a long
bunch
of
code! Just copy
what's between the ***start copy*** and ***end
copy***.
Paste it into a new
module; mine was called modFileRequestor...
For your image_click event use this code instead
of
what
I had befo
GetOpenFile(, "Browse for a file")

As for confusing names like table "Animals" and
form "Animals", I alway put
a three-character identifier on all my objects--
tblAnimals or frmAnimals or
qryAnimals, etc. Just for clarity, you might want
to
rename your field in
the table to "ImagePath", and maybe your image
control
on
the form to
"imgPicture". You shouldn't have to change the
image
property from
"embedded"; it won't matter since it's not being
saved
with the form. If
you still get the error about "can't find the
field..."
double-check your
form's recordsource to make sure the new path
field
is
in
there.

'***start copy***
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Type BROWSEINFO
hOwner As Long
pidlRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As String
lpszTitle As String
ulFlags As Long
lpfn As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Type tagOPENFILENAME
lStructSize As Long
hwndOwner As Long
hInstance As Long
strFilter As String
strCustomFilter As String
nMaxCustFilter As Long
nFilterIndex As Long
strFile As String
nMaxFile As Long
strFileTitle As String
nMaxFileTitle As Long
strInitialDir As String
strTitle As String
Flags As Long
nFileOffset As Integer
nFileExtension As Integer
strDefExt As String
lCustData As Long
lpfnHook As Long
lpTemplateName As String
End Type

'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetOpenFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetOpenFileNameA" (OFN As
tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function aht_apiGetSaveFileName
Lib "comdlg32.dll" _
Alias "GetSaveFileNameA" (OFN As
tagOPENFILENAME)
As
Boolean
Private Declare Function CommDlgExtendedError
Lib "comdlg32.dll" () As Long
'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHGetPathFromIDListA" (ByVal pidl As
Long,
_
ByVal pszPath As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder
Lib "shell32.dll" Alias _
"SHBrowseForFolderA" (lpBrowseInfo As
BROWSEINFO) _
As Long

'For Browse Directory dialog
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1
'For File Open/Save dialog
Private Const ahtOFN_READONLY = &H1
Private Const ahtOFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT = &H2
Private Const ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY = &H4
Private Const ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR = &H8
Private Const ahtOFN_SHOWHELP = &H10
Private Const ahtOFN_NOVALIDATE = &H100
Private Const ahtOFN_ALLOWMULTISELECT = &H200
Private Const ahtOFN_EXTENSIONDIFFERENT = &H400
Private Const ahtOFN_PATHMUSTEXIST = &H800
Private Const ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST = &H1000
Private Const ahtOFN_CREATEPROMPT = &H2000
Private Const ahtOFN_SHAREAWARE = &H4000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOREADONLYRETURN = &H8000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOTESTFILECREATE = &H10000
Private Const ahtOFN_NONETWORKBUTTON = &H20000
Private Const ahtOFN_NOLONGNAMES = &H40000
Private Const ahtOFN_EXPLORER = &H80000
Private Const ahtOFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS = &H100000
Private Const ahtOFN_LONGNAMES = &H200000

'************************************** **
'************************************** **
'************************************** **
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Terry Kreft.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
'Code courtesy of
'Terry Kreft

Function BrowseFolder(szDialogTitle As String) As
String
Dim x As Long, bi As BROWSEINFO, dwIList As Long
Dim szPath As String, wPos As Integer

With bi
.hOwner = hWndAccessApp
.lpszTitle = szDialogTitle
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With

dwIList = SHBrowseForFolder(bi)
szPath = Space$(512)
x = SHGetPathFromIDList(ByVal dwIList, ByVal
szPath)

If x Then
wPos = InStr(szPath, Chr(0))
BrowseFolder = Left$(szPath, wPos - 1)
Else
BrowseFolder = vbNullString
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'************************************** **
'************************************** **
'************************************** **

'************************************** **
'************************************** **
'************************************** **
'************** Code Start **************
'This code was originally written by Ken Getz.
'It is not to be altered or distributed,
'except as part of an application.
'You are free to use it in any application,
'provided the copyright notice is left unchanged.
'
' Code courtesy of:
' Microsoft Access 95 How-To
' Ken Getz and Paul Litwin
' Waite Group Press, 1996

Function GetOpenFile(Optional varDirectory As
Variant, _
Optional varTitleForDialog As Variant,
Optional
varFiletype As Variant)
As Variant
' Here's an example that gets an Access database
name.
Dim strFilter As String
Dim lngFlags As Long
Dim varFileName As Variant
' Specify that the chosen file must already exist,
' don't change directories when you're done
' Also, don't bother displaying
' the read-only box. It'll only confuse people.
lngFlags = ahtOFN_FILEMUSTEXIST Or _
ahtOFN_HIDEREADONLY Or
ahtOFN_NOCHANGEDIR
If IsMissing(varDirectory) Then
varDirectory = ""
End If
If IsMissing(varTitleForDialog) Then
varTitleForDialog = ""
End If

' Define the filter string and allocate space
in
the "c"
' string Duplicate this line with changes as
necessary for
' more file templates.
strFilter = ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter, _
"Pictures
(*.jpg,*.bmp)", "*.jpg;*.bmp")
' Now actually call to get the file name.
varFileName = ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
OpenFile:=True, _
InitialDir:=varDirectory, _
Filter:=strFilter, _
Flags:=lngFlags, _

DialogTitle:=varTitleForDialog)
If Not IsNull(varFileName) Then
varFileName = TrimNull(varFileName)
End If
GetOpenFile = varFileName
End Function

Function ahtCommonFileOpenSave( _
Optional ByRef Flags As Variant, _
Optional ByVal InitialDir As Variant,
_
Optional ByVal Filter As Variant, _
Optional ByVal FilterIndex As
Variant, _
Optional ByVal DefaultExt As Variant,
_
Optional ByVal FileName As Variant, _
Optional ByVal DialogTitle As
Variant, _
Optional ByVal hwnd As Variant, _
Optional ByVal OpenFile As Variant) As
Variant
' This is the entry point you'll use to call the
common
' file open/save dialog. The parameters are listed
' below, and all are optional.
'
' In:
' Flags: one or more of the ahtOFN_* constants,
OR'd
together.
' InitialDir: the directory in which to first look
' Filter: a set of file filters, set up by calling
' AddFilterItem. See examples.
' FilterIndex: 1-based integer indicating which
filter
' set to use, by default (1 if
unspecified)
' DefaultExt: Extension to use if the user doesn't
enter
one.
' Only useful on file saves.
' FileName: Default value for the file name text
box.
' DialogTitle: Title for the dialog.
' hWnd: parent window handle
' OpenFile: Boolean(True=Open File/False=Save As)
' Out:
' Return Value: Either Null or the selected
filename
Dim OFN As tagOPENFILENAME
Dim strFilename As String
Dim strFileTitle As String
Dim fResult As Boolean
' Give the dialog a caption title.
If IsMissing(InitialDir) Then InitialDir =
CurDir
If IsMissing(Filter) Then Filter = ""
If IsMissing(FilterIndex) Then FilterIndex = 1
If IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags = 0&
If IsMissing(DefaultExt) Then DefaultExt = ""
If IsMissing(FileName) Then FileName = ""
If IsMissing(DialogTitle) Then DialogTitle
= ""
If IsMissing(hwnd) Then hwnd =
Application.hWndAccessApp
If IsMissing(OpenFile) Then OpenFile = True
' Allocate string space for the returned
strings.
strFilename = Left(FileName & String(256, 0),
256)
strFileTitle = String(256, 0)
' Set up the data structure before you call
the
function
With OFN
.lStructSize = Len(OFN)
.hwndOwner = hwnd
.strFilter = Filter
.nFilterIndex = FilterIndex
.strFile = strFilename
.nMaxFile = Len(strFilename)
.strFileTitle = strFileTitle
.nMaxFileTitle = Len(strFileTitle)
.strTitle = DialogTitle
.Flags = Flags
.strDefExt = DefaultExt
.strInitialDir = InitialDir
' Didn't think most people would want to
deal
with
' these options.
.hInstance = 0
'.strCustomFilter = ""
'.nMaxCustFilter = 0
.lpfnHook = 0
'New for NT 4.0
.strCustomFilter = String(255, 0)
.nMaxCustFilter = 255
End With
' This will pass the desired data structure to
the
' Windows API, which will in turn it uses to
display
' the Open/Save As Dialog.
If OpenFile Then
fResult = aht_apiGetOpenFileName(OFN)
Else
fResult = aht_apiGetSaveFileName(OFN)
End If

' The function call filled in the strFileTitle
member
' of the structure. You'll have to write
special
code
' to retrieve that if you're interested.
If fResult Then
' You might care to check the Flags member
of
the
' structure to get information about the
chosen
file.
' In this example, if you bothered to pass
in
a
' value for Flags, we'll fill it in with
the
outgoing
' Flags value.
If Not IsMissing(Flags) Then Flags =
OFN.Flags
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = TrimNull
(OFN.strFile)
Else
ahtCommonFileOpenSave = vbNullString
End If
End Function

Function ahtAddFilterItem(strFilter As String, _
strDescription As String, Optional varItem As
Variant) As String
' Tack a new chunk onto the file filter.
' That is, take the old value, stick onto it the
description,
' (like "Databases"), a null character, the
skeleton
' (like "*.mdb;*.mda") and a final null character.

If IsMissing(varItem) Then varItem = "*.*"
ahtAddFilterItem = strFilter & _
strDescription & vbNullChar & _
varItem & vbNullChar
End Function

Private Function TrimNull(ByVal strItem As String)
As
String
Dim intPos As Integer
intPos = InStr(strItem, vbNullChar)
If intPos 0 Then
TrimNull = Left(strItem, intPos - 1)
Else
TrimNull = strItem
End If
End Function
'*********** Code End *****************
'************************************** **
'************************************** **
'************************************** **
'***end copy***


"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
bl...
Mark, Thanks! I appreciate the detail steps.
And
it's
embarrassing when I can't follow them!
I'm getting an error message: run-time
error '2465'
Microsoft Access can't find the field 'FilePath'
referred
to in your expresion. I can't get from design
view
to
form view because of it.

On my Animals table I added FilePath as a text
field.
And
in my Animals form (confusing names, I know) I
added
the
picture (which I had to put a box around so I
could
find
it!), deleted the actual picture/path and called
the
field: ImageControl. Should the picture type
be "linked"
rather than "embedded"?

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me!FilePath
End Sub

I don't understand why this didn't work.

So I commented it out, and then I get a compile
error:
expected variable or procedure, not module
and remembered to name the module:
GetTheFilenamemdl
rather than GetTheFilename. See! I can be
taught.

Now, it's not liking
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
I've never seen FileDialog. This must be what
you
mentioned as tweaking the file browser function
as
I'm
using Access 2000. So I took a peek in the
library
and
I
have these checked (and in this order):
VB for applications
Microsoft Access 9.0 object library
OLE Automation
Microsoft DAO 3.6 object library
Microsoft ActiveX Sata Objects 2.1 library

Am I salvagable? Thanks for your help, Michelle

-----Original Message-----
Hi Michelle,

For testing, you can certainly just type in the
full
path
(don't need
quotes) to the image (don't forget the file's
extension
like Dog1.jpg). On
the form, add an image and select any old image
from
the
wizard. Once the
control is on the form, you can go to properties
and
erase the file path in
the "Picture" property. Now you have a blank
(unbound)
image control.

In my test form I whipped up to refresh my
memory, I
just
used the default
name of the control, which happened to
be "Image7".
Since the file path is
saved with the record, you'll always get the
correct
image for the record
being displayed.

When your user clicks on the image (or blank
image
box
if
there's no image
assigned yet), the full filename with path is
stored
in
the FilePath field
for that record and the form's recordset is
requeried
to
update the image.
The ImageControl's OnClick event:
'*********code start************
Private Sub ImageControl_Click()
Dim strFilename As String, strFind As String
Dim lngID As Long

strFilename = GetTheFilename("Browse to the
file")
If strFilename = "Cancelled" Then
Exit Sub
End If
Me!FilePath = strFilename
lngID = Me!ItemID
strFind = "[ItemID]=" & lngID
Echo False
Me.Requery
Me.Recordset.FindFirst strFind
Echo True

'********code end************

In a regular module (for the file requestor),
'********code start********
Function GetTheFilename(strTitle As String) As
String
Dim strFilename As String
Dim dlgFilePick As FileDialog
Dim vrtSelectedItem As Variant

On Error GoTo Err_GetFilename
Set dlgFilePick = Application.FileDialog
(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With dlgFilePick
.Title = strTitle
'Let user select only one file
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = -1 Then
'The user pressed the action button.
GetTheFilename = .SelectedItems(1)

Else
'The user pressed Cancel.
GetTheFilename = "Cancelled"
End If
End With

Exit_GetFilename:
Set dlgFilePick = Nothing
Exit Function
Err_GetFilename:
MsgBox "Error " & Err.Number & ": " &
Err.Description, ,
"GetTheFilename"
Resume Exit_GetFilename
End Function
'********code end************

I'm using Access2003, so the file browser
function
might
need tweaking for
older versions.
Hope this helps!

"Michelle"
wrote
in
message
news:1eae01c51d08$341f2f50$a401280a@phx .gbl...
I like the sound of that! I only have 5
pictures
so
far
and they are slow to load.

I want to try it! I created a new text field
(FilePath)
in
table Animals. My file path for the 1st
picture
is
C:\My Documents\My Pictures\Dog1
so I enter the above path in the Animals
table,
FilePath
field for Dog1's record. Correct? Do I need
the
file
path in quotes?

How do I create an unbound image control on
the
form? I
see the tool bar offers "image", "unbound
object
frame"
and a "bound object frame"- all of which want
me
to
select
the image now. What am I missing to get an
unbound
image
control?

I'm confused about: Me.Image7.Picture = Me!
FilePath
Does Image7 mean something? Is that the name
of
your
image in the record? If so, how does the
record
know
which picture to show for which record- must
be
by
the
file path name...

You said "When you click the image control,
the
user
browses to the picture they want to assign to
the
current
record."- that sounds cool! So I set up the
unbound
image
control once in the table and then the user
gets
to
choose
the picture, so that the user is never in the
table-
correct? That would be excellent!

Thanks for the guidance!
Michelle

-----Original Message-----
I used to have an ID badge database that
stored
the
digital pictures in an
OLE field. There was an OLE control on the
form
which,
when clicked, would
let you browse to select the file. With only
100
or
so
employee records, the
database bloated to over 200Mb. I have since
modified
the database to get
rid of the OLE field and control. I'm now
storing
the
path to the picture
in a text field called FilePath and the
database
is
under
200Kb. I've got
an unbound image control on the form, and in
the
form's
OnCurrent event I
have:

Me.Image7.Picture = Me!FilePath

which will change the picture to match the
picture
you
assigned to the
current record. When you click the image
control,
the
user browses to the
picture they want to assign to the current
record.
It
works with both JPG
and BMP files.

"Michelle"

wrote
in
message
news:1e2501c51ce8$2bf6eb80$a401280a@p hx.gbl...
Sorry about that!
I have form that I want to show a digital
camera
picture.
I have the table field set up as an OLE
Object.

Can I load the picture from the form, or do
I
need
to
go
to the table, find the correct record for
the
field,
select Insert object and the browse to the
correct
digital
camera picture? There's got to be an easier
way
for
end-
users!

I see that bitmap is an option, but my
digital
camera
pictures are jpg. How do I upload these?

Thanks,
Mich


.




.



.



.



.



.



.

Michelle I'm sure everyone is happy you were able to work through your
issue with some excellent help in this NG. Just a note, the last 13
messages in this thread generated more than 325KB of network traffic
simply because neither of you took the time to trim the repetitive
portions of this thread.

Not everyone reading this NG has a broadband connection. NG Etiquette
suggests that when you reply take a moment to snip out repetitive or non
related portions of the original message(s).
http://www.mvps.org/access/netiquette.htm

Good luck with your project.
:-)
--

HTH
Stephen Lebans
http://www.lebans.com
Access Code, Tips and Tricks
Please respond only to the newsgroups so everyone can benefit.


"Michelle" wrote in message
...
Thanks. I think I'll leave it as is- since the user isn't
creating a new record, I worry that they'll forget to
save. I did discover that with my text field to show the
path- if I erase that path, the picture disappears, or of
course, they can just upload a new picture.