Any potential problems with using attachments in access?

[strive4peace]

I am also against storing attachments in databases, preferring to keep them outside as separate files. I converted attachments from a database back to files for someone and found that only 30% of them were unique. When files are outside the database, the same one can be referenced by multiple records.

I generally also copy (or move) the file to a folder under the back-end

If attachments are images with a URL, they can be displayed using a web browser control.

 

[oleronesoftwares]

I converted attachments from a database back to files for someone and found that only 30% of them were unique

How do you mean by "only 30% of them were unique"?

 

[strive4peace]

HI @oleronesoftwares,

> How do you mean by "only 30% of them were unique"?

after all the attachments were saved as files, several of them were the same size as another one. Upon inspection, it turned out they were indeed the same information!

 

[oleronesoftwares]

Upon inspection, it turned out they were indeed the same information!

What do you think caused that, could it be users saving same images more than once, but under different names?

 

[strive4peace]

hi @oleronesoftwares,

in that database, it wasn't something like photos of a face, which are unique -- it was documents that were relevent to them -- and people sometimes got the same information. It's a long time ago now, and I didn't pay much attention to the content anyway.

even if they had been face photos, I still think it's a good idea to keep attachments as separate files ~

 

[oleronesoftwares]

even if they had been face photos, I still think it's a good idea to keep attachments as separate files

I agree, just wanted to learn from other peoples' mistake.

 

[strive4peace]

> wanted to learn from other peoples' mistake

@oleronesoftwares, better than making them yourself, I agree!

adding on ... Access does well injecting information into Word templates using automation. If that's the case, better would be to record the template sent and when

 

[strive4peace]

here's a video to merge data from Access into Word, from Word. Normally, however, I do it from Access, to track what's done -- and there are also other ways than this. The goal is to give each person something customized.

Merge Data from Access into a Microsoft Word Letter

 

[GPGeorge]

I have a download on my website which shows the use of externally stored images in a membership directory for a group.

 

[Danjo]

These responses are very interesting - thanks to everyone who took the time to share. Glad I started this now!