Combo/Attachments (1 Viewer)

[Czeszyn]

I have a question, and I hope that I explain it well enough.
Okay, I have paperwork that we are scanning and saving in a file. I would like to say build a table/form where I would log the scans in, like the date, and add the attachment field where the copy of the paperwork would be. We will call that say, ScanFormLog.

In my other form, which is my MainForm, I want to be able to do something like a combo box, where I could pull down a list, which would be from my ScanFormLog, and let me choose the attachment that I need to but into my MainForm. The record that I want to be able to draw from the ScanFormLog is the attachment. Of course once this item is in the field on the MainForm, I would be able to still click on the attachment and it would go to the file/scan copy.

I have done something like this dealing with film, where I log the film into a receiving log. On the MainForm, I can pull down the list and grab the film that I need to get the lot number from it. It works great. So I want to be able to do the same thing with my scanned copies, that would be stored in the same file with the database.

When I tried to do it the way I did the other, the Film. It would not work. It would not let me grab an attachment in another form, and put it into my MainForm. I even try using a text field, but it only gave me the text but was not linkable.

I hope someone can give me an idea of how to do this.
Thank you again in advance for your help.
Tony Tom

 

[June7]

Storing large files inside db can quickly use up Access file size limit of 2GB.

What file type are the scans - jpg? You are displaying image with Image control?

If you embed the files in Images table, you have to save ID of the image record then it is displayed with data via query that joins tables.

If images are external, ControlSource can be an expression that dynamically constructs the image file path. The image name would be in text field. Agsin, if you save image names in an Images table, then again save image record ID into data table and retrieve the image name via query that joins tables.

 

[Mark_]

I second June's post. Keep a link to the file on disk but do not save the file inside your DB.

On the plus side, if you save the type of file along with the path, you can either have ACCESS display it (for an image) OR start it with the appropriate program by shelling to it (say PDF).