Linking pictures to inventory records

[JR Mc Michael]

I have a list of inventory items that I need to show the picture of when that
item is selected from a combo box. I have not done this in about 8 years.

Also when you have a combo box in a form and you have a sub form that
reports to the combo box how do you stop the records from changing when you
scroll the mouse wheel. It goes through all the records when you use the
wheel insted of stoping at the end of the records for the catagory you have
selected.
Thank you
Jr

 

[Larry Linson]

I will respond to your combo box question in another thread/response. It is
very difficult for future users if there are more than one (unrelated)
question in the same post.

I have a list of inventory items that I need to show
the picture of when that item is selected from a combo box.

The sample imaging databases at http://accdevel.tripod.com illustrate three
approaches to handling images in Access, and the download includes an
article discussing considerations in choosing an approach. Two of the
approaches do not use OLE Objects and, thus, avoid the database bloat, and
some other problems, associated with images in OLE Objects.

If you are printing the images in reports, to avoid memory leakage, you
should also see MVP Stephen Lebans' http://www.lebans.com/printfailures.htm.
PrintFailure.zip is an Access97 MDB containing a report that fails during
the Access formatting process prior to being spooled to the Printer Driver.
This MDB also contains code showing how to convert the contents of the Image
control to a Bitmap file prior to printing. This helps alleviate the "Out of
Memory" error that can popup when printing image intensive reports.

And, Stephen has an ActiveX control available that works in cases where the
graphics filters are not available -- and works better, I've heard, than the
OLE Object and OLE Controls.

Please note that there are other approaches, e.g.,
Application.FollowHyperlink, but those, like OLE and Bound OLE Frames (which
from the symptoms you describe, are what you were / are using) still leave
you "at the mercy of the imaging software registered for the filetype").

Finally, Access 2007 has enhancements that, reputedly, eliminate the
database bloat long associated with OLE Objects and Bound OLE Frames. But,
it still leaves you relying on the software registered for the image type,
which may not be as "cooperative" as we'd like in creating our display. It
also has the capability of having a variable number of Attachments to a
Record, which may be helpful. But, as I have not done much with it yet, I
certainly wouldn't suggest you rush out and replace an earlier version --
until you have a copy incorporating, at least, the first Service Pack, or
have
the SP in hand and ready to apply as soon as you install Access 2007. (That
Service Pack has been available, now, for several months.)

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP

 

[Larry Linson]

<Q about pictures answered separately>

Also when you have a combo box in a form and
you have a sub form that reports to the combo box

Subforms are Controls on a Form... they may have a ComboBox on the Form as
the LinkMasterFields, but they don't "report to the combo box". Perhaps
you could clarify just what you have:

(1) Is the main form bound to a table or query?
(2) What, specifically, are the LinkMasterFields and LinkChildFields
specified for the Subform Control?
(3) What, specifically, is the Source Object for the Subform Control -- a
form, a table, a query?

how do you stop the records from changing
when you scroll the mouse wheel. It goes
through all the records when you use the
wheel insted of stoping at the end of the
records for the catagory you have
selected.

(4) Where is the focus (the cursor image should be there, on a Control)
when you experience this behavior -- on the main Form, on the Form embedded
in the Subform Control, on a Control in main Form, or on a Control on the
Form embedded in the Subform Control?
(5) What version of Access are you using?

I ask, because I was unable to reproduce the behavior that (I think) you
described in two simple tests, and just don't have time or energy to try all
the possible combinations.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP

 

[JR Mc Michael]

The main form is bound to a table Which has two fields Id and Category
The sub for is bound to a query the master field and child ar linked to the
field category. THe other questions about focus etc. I am not sure of. I
am using Access 2003. Hope this helps
Thank you
JR

 

[Larry Linson]

The main form is bound to a table Which has two fields Id and Category
The sub for is bound to a query the master field and child ar linked to the
field category. THe other questions about focus etc. I am not sure of. I
am using Access 2003. Hope this helps
Thank you
JR

JR, I had already created and executed a test database with Fields similar
in name to those you describe, and could not reproduce the problem you
describe. Without more information, that's all I can respond -- cannot
reproduce from the data you have provided.

There are suggestions for doing the groundwork for preparing a question in
the FAQ at http://www.mvps.org/access/netiquette.htm. The requests for
addition information were to see if there was "something unusual" that could
be causing it. Each of the items for which I asked is, I am certain,
described in Help.

Item 3: In Design View, select the Subform Control, right-click, and view
its Property Sheet. In the DataTab, the first property will be the
SourceObject.

Item 4: That little doohickey that moves along with your typing, often a
vertical bar, is the "cursor" (so is the doohickey that moves around the
screen when you move the mouse, just to confuse things, but it's the one
where you'd type that I mean -- where is it, on-screen? Where it is tells us
where "the focus" is at a given moment.

Item 5: Under Help, choose About, and it will tell you what version of
Access you are using (and there are other sources of this information,
though it is difficult for me to imagine anyone not KNOWING what version of
Access they are using... I have a difficult time seeing your screen to
determine, y'know, from this distance).

It's difficult enough, at best, to assist someone to debug remotely, but if
they are unable or unwilling to seek out the information needed, it is
impossible.

I've never seen, on anyone's computer, running Access, the behavior you
describe, so it is not "usual" behavior for Access.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP