ACC: How to Load OLE Objects from a Folder into a Table

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

This article describes a method to automatically append all files with a particular extension from a specified folder on the hard disk into a table. This routine is good for loading OLE objects, such as .gif, .jpg, .doc, .xls, or .bmp files that are associated with an OLE Server, into a Microsoft Access database.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

NOTE: To associate a graphic file with an OLE Server, open it with an OLE Server package such as Microsoft Imager or Microsoft Paint, and save the file.

For information about working programmatically with an OLE object in a form in Microsoft Access version 2.0, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q114214
   TITLE     : ACC2: How to Programmatically Embed or Link an Object in a
               Form

MORE INFORMATION

Method to Import OLE Object Files

1. Create the following new table in Design view. Save it as tblLoadOLE:

   Table: tblLoadOLE ------------------------ Field Name: OLEID

             Data Type: AutoNumber
          Field Name: OLEPath
             Data Type: Text
             Field Size: 255
          Field Name: OLEFile
             Data Type: OLE Object
   
          Table Properties: tblLoadOLE
          ----------------------------
          PrimaryKey: OLEID
   
   

2. Using the AutoForm: Columnar Wizard, create a new form based on the tblLoadOLE table. Save it as frmLoadOLE.

3. Open the frmLoadOLE form in Design view.

4. Create three unbound text box controls in the form header section of the form:

   Form: frmLoadOLE ------------------------ Text Box:

             Name: SearchFolder
          Text Box:
             Name: SearchExtension
          Text Box:
             Name: OLEClass
   
   

5. Create a command button on the form:

   Command Button -------------- Name: cmdLoadOLE Caption: Load Files

6. Type the following event procedure in the OnClick property of the cmdLoadOLE button:

   Private Sub cmdLoadOLE_Click()

   Dim MyFolder As String Dim MyExt As String Dim MyPath As String Dim MyFile As String Dim strCriteria As String

   MyFolder = SearchFolder ' Get the search path. MyPath = MyFolder & "\" & "*." & [SearchExtension] ' Get the first file in the path containing the file extension. MyFile = Dir(MyPath, vbNormal) Do While Len(MyFile) <> 0

             [OLEPath] = MyFolder & "\" & MyFile
             [OLEFile].Class = [OLEClass]
             [OLEFile].OLETypeAllowed = acOLEEmbedded
             [OLEFile].SourceDoc = [OLEPath]
             [OLEFile].Action = acOLECreateEmbed
             ' Check for next OLE file in the folder.
             MyFile = Dir
             ' Go to new record on form.
             DoCmd.DoMenuItem acFormBar, acEditMenu, 12, 4, acMenuVer70
          Loop
   
          End Sub
   
   

7. Save the frmLoadOLE form and open it in Form view.

8. Type the full path name of the folder you want to search in the SearchFolder text box.

9. Type the file extension you want to load in the SearchExtension text box, such as bmp, jpg, doc, xls, tif, or gif. Do not type a period as part of the extension.

10. Type the Class name for the type of file you are loading, such as Paint.Picture for .bmp files.

    NOTE: To determine the Class name of an OLE object, see the documentation for the application supplying the object.

11. Click the Load Files button. Note that All files that match the SearchFolder and SearchExtension you entered are added to the tblLoadOLE table.