How to display images from a folder in a form, a report, or a data access page

Sometimes, it is not practical to store images in a Microsoft Access table. If you have many images, or if each of your image files is large, the size of the Microsoft Access database file can quickly increase.

This article demonstrates a custom function that you can use to:

• Store file paths and names of images in a table.
• Display images by using an image control.
• Hide the image control if no image is available.
• Provide feedback on the display status of the image.

This article also contains sample Visual Basic script that you can use to display the images in a data access page.

NOTE: Although this example use bitmap images (.bmp), you can also use other image types, such as .jpg, .pcx, and .gif.

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.

Creating the table to store file and path data

1. Open the sample database, Northwind.mdb, or the sample project, NorthwindCS.adp.
2. Create the following table either in Northwind.mdb or in NorthwindCS.adp.
   
   In Northwind.mdb:

      Table: tblImage
      ----------------------------
      Field Name: ImageID
      Data Type: AutoNumber
      Indexed: Yes (No Duplicates)
   
      Field Name: txtImageName
      Data Type: Text
   
      Table Properties: tblImage
      --------------------------
      PrimaryKey: ImageID
   						

   In NorthwindCS.adp:

      Table: tblImage
      -----------------------
      Column Name: ImageID
      Datatype: Int
      Allow Nulls: Unchecked
      Identity: Yes
   
      Column Name: txtImageName
      Datatype: varchar
   
      Table Properties: ImageTable
      -------------------------------
      Primary Key Constraint: ImageID
   					

3. Open the tblImage table in Datasheet view, and then add the path and name of a bitmap file to each record. The following table of examples shows how the records might look:

   --------------------------------------------------------------
   | Type                 | Example                             |
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   | Absolute (Local)     | C:\Windows\Zapotec.bmp              |
   | Absolute (UNC Path)  | \\Servername\sharename\Zapotec.bmp  |
   | Relative             | Zapotec.bmp                         |
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   					

Creating the custom function

1. Create a new module, and then paste or type the following code:

   Option Compare Database
   Option Explicit
   
   Public Function DisplayImage(ctlImageControl As Control, strImagePath As Variant) As String
   On Error GoTo Err_DisplayImage
   
   Dim strResult As String
   Dim strDatabasePath As String
   Dim intSlashLocation As Integer
   
   With ctlImageControl
       If IsNull(strImagePath) Then
           .Visible = False
           strResult = "No image name specified."
       Else
           If InStr(1, strImagePath, "\") = 0 Then
               ' Path is relative
               strDatabasePath = CurrentProject.FullName
               intSlashLocation = InStrRev(strDatabasePath, "\", Len(strDatabasePath))
               strDatabasePath = Left(strDatabasePath, intSlashLocation)
               strImagePath = strDatabasePath & strImagePath
           End If
           .Visible = True
           .Picture = strImagePath
           strResult = "Image found and displayed."
       End If
   End With
       
   Exit_DisplayImage:
       DisplayImage = strResult
       Exit Function
   
   Err_DisplayImage:
       Select Case Err.Number
           Case 2220       ' Can't find the picture.
               ctlImageControl.Visible = False
               strResult = "Can't find image in the specified name."
               Resume Exit_DisplayImage:
           Case Else       ' Some other error.
               MsgBox Err.Number & " " & Err.Description
               strResult = "An error occurred displaying image."
               Resume Exit_DisplayImage:
       End Select
   End Function
   					

2. Save the module as Module1.

Using the custom function in a form

1. Create the following new form that is based on the tblImage table.

      Form: frmImage
      ----------------------
      Caption: Image Form
      RecordSource: tblImage
   
      Image Control
      ---------------------------------
      Name: ImageFrame
      Picture: "C:\Windows\Zapotec.bmp"
   
      Text box
      ----------------------
      Name: txtImageID
      ControlSource: ImageID
   
      Text box
      ---------------------------
      Name: txtImageName
      ControlSource: txtImageName
   
      Text box
      ---------------------------
      Name: txtImageNote
      ControlSource: <Blank>
   						

   NOTE: If you do not want the path to appear in the form, you can set the Visible property of the txtImageName control to False.
2. On the View menu, click Code, and then paste or type the following code:

   Option Compare Database
   Option Explicit
   
   Private Sub Form_AfterUpdate()
       CallDisplayImage
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub Form_Current()
       CallDisplayImage
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub txtImageName_AfterUpdate()
       CallDisplayImage
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub CallDisplayImage()
       Me!txtImageNote = DisplayImage(Me!ImageFrame, Me!txtImageName)
   End Sub
   					

3. Open the frmImage form in Form view. Note that the form displays the corresponding bitmap for each record. If the txtImageName field is blank or if the image cannot be found, you receive appropriate messages instead of the image frame.

Using the custom function in a report

1. Create the following new report that is based on the ImageTable table.

      Report: rptImage
      ----------------------
      Caption: Image Report
      RecordSource: tblImage
   
      Image Control
      ---------------------------------
      Name: ImageFrame
      Picture: "C:\Windows\Zapotec.bmp"
   
      Text box
      ----------------------
      Name: txtImageID
      ControlSource: ImageID
   
      Text box
      ---------------------------
      Name: txtImageName
      ControlSource: txtImageName
   
      Text box
      ---------------------------
      Name: txtImageNote
      ControlSource: <Blank>
   						

   NOTE: If you do not want the path to appear in the report, you can set the Visible property of the txtImageName control to False.
2. On the View menu, click Code, and then paste or type the following code:

   Option Compare Database
   Option Explicit
   
   Private Sub Detail_Print(Cancel As Integer, PrintCount As Integer)
       Me!txtImageNote = DisplayImage(Me!ImageFrame, Me!txtImageName)
   End Sub
   					

3. Open the rptImage report in print preview. Note that the report displays the corresponding bitmap for each record. If the txtImageName field is blank or if the image cannot be found, you receive appropriate messages instead of the image frame.

Duplicating the custom function in a data access page

1. Create the following new data access page that is based on the tblImage table.

      Data Access Page: dapImage
      -----------------------------
      Title: Image Data Access Page
   
      Image Control
      ---------------------------------
      ID: ImageFrame
     
      Text box
      ----------------------
      ID: txtImageID
      ControlSource: ImageID
   
      Text box
      ---------------------------
      ID: txtImageName
      ControlSource: txtImageName
   						

   NOTE: If you do not want the path to appear in the page, you can set the Visibility property of the txtImageName control to Hidden.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Macros, and then click Microsoft Script Editor.
3. Add the following script to the Current event of the MSODSC in the HEAD tag portion of the HTML document.
   
   NOTE: You must pass in a parameter in order for the event to be triggered.

   <SCRIPT language=vbscript event=Current(oEventInfo) for=MSODSC>
   <!--
   	ImageFrame.src=txtImageName.value
   -->
   </SCRIPT>
   					

4. Open the dapImage page in Page view. Note that the page displays the corresponding bitmap for each record. If the txtImageName field is blank, a control icon is displayed. If the image cannot be found, an X icon appears in the image control.

Use an http:// path in a form

To use an http:// path in a form, use the Web browser control (shdocvw.dll) as follows:

1. Add a Microsoft Web Browser control to the form and name it WebBrowser.
2. Add the following code to a module:

   Public Function DisplayImageWeb(ctlBrowserControl As Control, _
   strImagePath As Variant)
   
   On Error GoTo Err_DisplayImage
   
   Dim strDatabasePath As String
   Dim intSlashLocation As Integer
   
   With ctlBrowserControl
       If IsNull(strImagePath) Then
       ElseIf Left(strImagePath, 4) = "http" Then
           .Navigate (strImagePath)
       Else
           If InStr(1, strImagePath, "\") = 0 Then
               ' Path is relative
               strDatabasePath = CurrentProject.FullName
               intSlashLocation = InStrRev(strDatabasePath, "\", Len(strDatabasePath))
               strDatabasePath = Left(strDatabasePath, intSlashLocation)
               strImagePath = strDatabasePath & strImagePath
           End If
           .Navigate (strImagePath)
       End If
   End With
       
   Exit_DisplayImage:
       Exit Function
   
   Err_DisplayImage:
       Select Case Err.Number
           Case Else
               MsgBox Err.Number & " " & Err.Description
               Resume Exit_DisplayImage:
       End Select
   End Function
   				

3. Add the following code behind the form:

   Option Compare Database
   Option Explicit
   
   Private Sub Form_AfterUpdate()
       CallDisplayImage
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub Form_Current()
       CallDisplayImage
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub txtImageName_AfterUpdate()
       CallDisplayImage
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub CallDisplayImage()
       DisplayImageWeb Me.WebBrowser9, Me.txtImageName
   End Sub