Viewing scanned documents in access

[ussha]

I would like some advice on how to link scanned documents to specific records in microsoft access

[JConsulting]

I would like some advice on how to link scanned documents to specific records in microsoft access

1) What kind of documents are they? PDF?
2) When you say link..you mean put the path in a field in the table so you can click it and it will open the document?
3) How do you plan to help your user to get the path in the field?

you can set up a field in a table as hyperlink. A path like C:\myfile.pdf when clicked on will open the PDF as long as you have an acrobat viewer installed. This works for most file types known to MS (as long as you have the supporting software to open them)

J

[ussha]

I want to link a specific value in a field to a PDF file that is named the same as the value in the field. So each entry for that field will bring up a different image. This is my first time posting and I don't have a programming background so I am struggling a little on this one.

[JConsulting]

I want to link a specific value in a field to a PDF file that is named the same as the value in the field. So each entry for that field will bring up a different image. This is my first time posting and I don't have a programming background so I am struggling a little on this one.

So you don't want to open the PDF, you want to display it in a form or something?

[ussha]

So you don't want to open the PDF, you want to display it in a form or something?

Yes, that's what I'm after displaying the image in the form. Not sure how to go about it though

[JConsulting]

Yes, that's what I'm after displaying the image in the form. Not sure how to go about it though

Morning,
In access, there is an object on the menu that allows you to insert an image. Without stating the obvious, this is an image control. The image control has a property that can be assigned to a control source.

Initially, the easiest thing to do is select the control off the menu. Create one on your form. A wizard will open up allowing you to select your image file. Select one.

Once you get the image control on the form, you can assign it a field in your underlying table.

Your table should hold a path to your images. Normally this path is either the same directory as the one where you plan to install your database, or a subfolder of it. This is for ease of use.

A text field in your table would then hold that path.
example: C:\MyDatabaseLocation\Images\Image1.bmp

Then using the form's On_Current event you assign the image control the value in that text field.

Private Sub Form_Current()
Me.ImageControl.Picture = Me.MyImagePath
End Sub 
 

J

[JConsulting]

Yes, that's what I'm after displaying the image in the form. Not sure how to go about it though

your other option, if you don't have images of your pdf documents, is to display them in an unbound OLE object. Below is an example of the types of files you can display in various "frames"

Private Sub Form_Current()
' OleUnbound11 is an unbound Object Control. It's properties allow you to do the following.
Dim OLEType As String
OLEType = Right(Me.MyOLE, 3)
Select Case OLEType
Case "pdf"
'Me.OLEUnbound8.SourceItem = Me.MyOLE
    Me.OLEUnbound11.Class = "AcroExch.Document"    ' Set class name. if you leave the version out...it defaults to the latest
Case "bmp"
    Me.OLEUnbound11.Class = "Paint.Picture"    ' Set class name. if you leave the version out...it defaults to the latest
    ' Adjust control size.
    'Me.OLEUnbound11.SizeMode = acOLESizeStretch
    Me.Image0.Picture = Me.MyOLE ' This is an Unbound Image frame..Works differently than an object frame
Case "xls"
    Me.OLEUnbound11.Class = "Excel.Sheet"    ' Set class name. if you leave the version out...it defaults to the latest
    ' Specify data to create link to.
    Me.OLEUnbound11.SourceItem = "R1C1:R5C5"  '<---set the range to what you want to see
End Select
    ' Specify type of object.
    Me.OLEUnbound11.OLETypeAllowed = acOLEEither
    ' Specify the verb action
    Me.OLEUnbound11.Verb = acOLEVerbOpen ' -2 = acOLEVerbOpen
    ' Specify source file.
    Me.OLEUnbound11.SourceDoc = Me.MyOLE  '<----My field
    ' Specify data to create link to.
    Me.OLEUnbound11.Action = 0 ' 1 = acOLECreateLink, 0 = acOLECreateEmbed
    ' Adjust control size.
    Me.OLEUnbound11.SizeMode = 1  'acOLESizeClip (0), acOLESizeStretch (1), acOLESizeZoom (3)
    Me.Dirty = False
    Me.OLEUnbound11.Requery
    Me.Refresh
End Sub
 

[ussha]

thanks i'll give it a go

[tokoloshi]

I need to embed a PDF file into my DB. Based on the client's business rules I cannot maintain the document outside of the DB. I cannot therefore link to a given location outside of the database.

The code that I am using, which I have confirmed from several different sites, is as follows:

------- Code used ----------------------------------------
varFile = "C:\PDFForms\ImportedFile.pdf"

On Error GoTo Error_cmdOleAuto_Click
Forms![PDFForm]![DocTypeID] = 13
Forms![PDFForm]![DocSubject] = "My new PDF document"
With Forms![PDFForm]![embeddedDoc]
.Enabled = True
.Locked = False
.OLETypeAllowed = acOLEEmbedded
.Class = "AcroExch.Document"
.SourceDoc = varFile
.Action = acOLECreateEmbed <-- Error generated here
End With
DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdSaveRecord

----------- Errors received --------------
?cstr(err)
2777

?Err.Description
The class argument in the CreateObject function of the Visual Basic
procedure you're trying to run is invalid.
---------------------------------------

I receive the listed errors when running this code.

All of the examples listed on all of the searches I have performed so far point me to the use of a .JPG or other image. These work comfortably, but the PDF file gives problems.

I have tried ignoring the .CLASS argument, but it still returns errors.

There are a heap of other discussions, but most tend to recommend saving the document outside of the DB.

Has anyone solved this problem yet?

Can someone please advise me on this one?

[tokoloshi]

btw: I am developing in Access 2007, with SQL Server 2005 as the Back End. The PDFs are created using the Office 2007 PDF/XPS add-in util from MS.