Help with a C++ library

[Eike]

I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
functionality of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
Picture Metadata Toolkit
(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).

I am a fairly competent VBA coder, although pretty much self taught by
this group. Consequently whilst I can happily follow/understand and use
API calls that other people have written, I don't yet have the knowledge
to implement this myself.

I have a database that I am developing to manage a digital image
collection. Not a new idea. The database takes user input to rename and
move files about, storing a bit of metadata along the way. The libraries
I have mentioned above would allow me to write 2 derived fields from the
database into the image file itself, meaning that even if the image is
renamed/separated from the database it can still be associated with its
proper source.

I am able to compile the source, but need some pointers on how to make
the functionality of the dll visible to VBA. Can anyone suggest where I
might start or any other groups who may be interested - even supplying
me with the correct terms to Google would help. Thanks...

Eike

[Douglas J. Steele]

Unfortunately, it may be that it's not possible.

Access is very picky about how it will and won't interact with COM objects.

Take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=202104 While it only
mentions Access 2000, I believe it's the same in all versions.
--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP
http://I.Am/DougSteele
(no e-mails, please!)

"Eike" <no*********@V21net.co.uk> wrote in message
news:db**********@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...

I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
functionality of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
Picture Metadata Toolkit
(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).

I am a fairly competent VBA coder, although pretty much self taught by
this group. Consequently whilst I can happily follow/understand and use
API calls that other people have written, I don't yet have the knowledge
to implement this myself.

I have a database that I am developing to manage a digital image
collection. Not a new idea. The database takes user input to rename and
move files about, storing a bit of metadata along the way. The libraries I
have mentioned above would allow me to write 2 derived fields from the
database into the image file itself, meaning that even if the image is
renamed/separated from the database it can still be associated with its
proper source.

I am able to compile the source, but need some pointers on how to make the
functionality of the dll visible to VBA. Can anyone suggest where I might
start or any other groups who may be interested - even supplying me with
the correct terms to Google would help. Thanks...

Eike

[Douglas J. Steele]

Unfortunately, it may be that it's not possible.

Access is very picky about how it will and won't interact with COM objects.

Take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=202104 While it only
mentions Access 2000, I believe it's the same in all versions.
--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP
http://I.Am/DougSteele
(no e-mails, please!)

"Eike" <no*********@V21net.co.uk> wrote in message
news:db**********@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...

I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
functionality of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
Picture Metadata Toolkit
(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).

I am a fairly competent VBA coder, although pretty much self taught by
this group. Consequently whilst I can happily follow/understand and use
API calls that other people have written, I don't yet have the knowledge
to implement this myself.

I have a database that I am developing to manage a digital image
collection. Not a new idea. The database takes user input to rename and
move files about, storing a bit of metadata along the way. The libraries I
have mentioned above would allow me to write 2 derived fields from the
database into the image file itself, meaning that even if the image is
renamed/separated from the database it can still be associated with its
proper source.

I am able to compile the source, but need some pointers on how to make the
functionality of the dll visible to VBA. Can anyone suggest where I might
start or any other groups who may be interested - even supplying me with
the correct terms to Google would help. Thanks...

Eike

[rude person]

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 17:36:35 +0100, Eike <no*********@V21net.co.uk>
wrote:

I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
functionality of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
Picture Metadata Toolkit
(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).

etc

I searched google (usenet) groups for "Picture Metadata Toolkit" and
it returned only six items. One was russian, two were from Kodak
saying that they haven't dropped it as a result of not supporting
TWAIN, one was your post, one was mac and one was java.
Is this thing widely used?

[rude person]

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 17:36:35 +0100, Eike <no*********@V21net.co.uk>
wrote:

I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
functionality of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
Picture Metadata Toolkit
(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).

etc

I searched google (usenet) groups for "Picture Metadata Toolkit" and
it returned only six items. One was russian, two were from Kodak
saying that they haven't dropped it as a result of not supporting
TWAIN, one was your post, one was mac and one was java.
Is this thing widely used?

[Eike]

I cannot tell you if it is much used, I presume not since it has not
been updated in 2 years. However I was trying to use it because it was a
solidly designed open source that looked like it would fulfill my
requirements. As you say it was orignially designed by Kodak to support
the emerging EXIF standard.

I have since found the FreeImage project (freeimage.sourceforge.net/)
another open source image processing library which seems to be more
active and includes support for Adobe's XMP standard. It also has a
prebuilt VB6 wrapper which seems to be working fine inside Access 2k.

I could still do with a few pointers if anyone is interested, but it
looks like this library will do what I want it to do. I just need to
work out how to interpret some pointers and arrays back to sensible strings.

rude person wrote:
....

etc

I searched google (usenet) groups for "Picture Metadata Toolkit" and
it returned only six items. One was russian, two were from Kodak
saying that they haven't dropped it as a result of not supporting
TWAIN, one was your post, one was mac and one was java.
Is this thing widely used?