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

Article
06/06/2024
Applies to:

Access 2010, Microsoft Office Access 2007, Microsoft Office Access 2003

Original KB number: 285820

Note

Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills. This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb/.accdb) and to a Microsoft Access project (.adp).

Summary

Sometimes, it's 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

Open the sample database, Northwind.mdb, or the sample project, NorthwindCS.adp.

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

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

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

Creating the custom function

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

Save the module as Module1.

Using the custom function in a form

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

On the Tools menu, point to Macros, and then click Microsoft Script Editor.
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>

</SCRIPT>
```
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:

Add a Microsoft Web Browser control to the form and name it WebBrowser.

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

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

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

Summary

Creating the table to store file and path data

Creating the custom function

Using the custom function in a form

Using the custom function in a report

Duplicating the custom function in a data access page

Use an http:// path in a form

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