General Advice Please

[clares]

Hi there

I would like some advice before embarking on a project, as not sure which way to approach problem.

I am developing an application and have used excel to most of the hard work. What I need to do is to create a document using the contents of a worksheet and perhaps use access (as excel dosn't store images) to 'connect' the image to the product code.

The contents of a worksheets contains many product codes, I can't store the image in there and was wondering whether I should create a database, store the image file as a table, the name of the image file is the product code, with a relationship created, and the use of a query it would link the two - yeah!!

The only problem that I encounter with this approach is that once the document has been created there is absolutly no need to keep the table and records, however I feel able to import the new excel file to create the next document and overwrite the existing table with the new one. If I overwrote tables, with new tables would Access keep the relationships.

Is there perhaps a better, tidier way in which I could approach this problem. I would be interested to hear from anyone who may feel like commenting!

Thanks in advance

 

[Mark O'Brien]

I am no Access expert, but what you want to do sounds doable. However, I've got to ask, what makes you say that Excel can't store images? It can. You can embed them on a worksheet. The source file could even be destroyed and the image would still be there. It sounds like Excel can do what you want. If so, I would do the whole thing in Excel, or do the whole thing in Access, but definitely just use one software.

HTH

 

[gator]

How many/ how large of images are you talking about? Access will balloon when you start storing massive quantities of images in it. Why not store the name and location of the file in Access?

-gator

 

[Corticus]

Hi clares,

I agree with Mark, definately avoid using Access and Excel at the same time if at all possible. If you've got the bulk of the thing done in Excel, I'd keep it there. As Mark said, Excel will embed your images fine. Also, to avoid file bloat, you could store the image locations as a table on a sheet in Excel and relate them however you need on this table.

HTH,

 

[clares]

Hi

Thanks for that info, its very helpful. I agree to using just the one application, but really didn't think excel could stopre images!!

I have about 50k images to save, a complete product file, the size of each image is about 4k. Excited that it can be done in execl, but still do not understand how? Could you give me a little bit mor info!!

How would I store the name and location of the file in Access and get excel to access it as suggested?

Again thanks in advance for any advice, help or suggestion. I need to be clear my approach so I don't have to abort half way through!!!