Ms Access Image

Displaying External Images in MS Access: A Step-by-Step Guide

MS Access is a powerful tool for managing data, but when it comes to displaying images, many users encounter a common dilemma. If you’re currently storing photographs as OLE Objects in your database and wish for a simpler, more organized method, you’re in the right place! This post will walk you through how to display images from external files, specifically .jpg files, from a network folder instead of keeping them embedded within the database.

Why Store Images Externally?

Before we dive into the solution, let’s explore why you might want to store images externally instead of as OLE Objects:

  • Improved Performance: Storing large image files in the database can slow down performance. External files help keep your database lightweight.
  • Ease of Management: It’s easier to update or replace images in a network folder than within the database itself.
  • User Familiarity: Users are often more comfortable accessing images from a shared folder rather than navigating through database objects.

Solution Overview

To achieve the goal of displaying external images in your MS Access application, follow these organized steps:

Step 1: Set Up Your Environment

  1. Create a Folder: Make a dedicated folder on your network drive where all your .jpg images will be stored.
  2. Path Management: Ensure that the paths to these image files are recorded in your MS Access database. You can use a text field to store these paths.

Step 2: Use an Image Control in Your Form

You need to use an image control within your MS Access form to display the images. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Add Image Control: Open your form in design view and add an Image Control. This control will display the images from their external locations.
  2. Add Text Box for Path: Include a text box (e.g., txtPhoto) that will be bound to the database field containing the image path.

Step 3: Write VBA Code to Display the Image

With your form set up, you’ll now write a simple VBA script to handle the display of images. Here’s a brief example, focusing on a button click event that will advance to the next record while updating the image display:

Private Sub cmdNextClick()
    DoCmd.GoToRecord , , acNext
    txtPhoto.SetFocus
    imgPicture.Picture = txtPhoto.Text
    Exit Sub
End Sub

Explanation of the Code

  • DoCmd.GoToRecord: This command moves the focus to the next record in your data set.
  • txtPhoto.SetFocus: This places focus on the text box that contains the path to the image.
  • imgPicture.Picture = txtPhoto.Text: This line of code assigns the path from the text box to the image control, allowing it to display the correct photograph for the current asset.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can make your MS Access application more streamlined and user-friendly. Storing images in a network folder not only optimizes performance but also simplifies the overall user experience. This method allows you to leverage the power of images without cluttering your database with unnecessary data.

Happy coding! Use this guide to enhance your MS Access applications today, and enjoy the flexibility that comes with managing external image files.