How can i open a PDF file from Access? Is it the same as...

[bayside blue]

...opening other Microsoft Programs.

Help!

Many Thanks
Martin

 

[bat17]

Yes

There are a couple of ways to do it depending on what you are after. Easiest way is probably to just create a hyperlink to it.

Peter

 

[bayside blue]

Re: How can i open a PDF file from Access? Is it the same as

That simple?? I just assumed that it would be really difficult

Was bloody browsing the net for ages looking for a way to do it in VB! Oh well.

Thank you

 

[mdmilner]

Re: How can i open a PDF file from Access? Is it the same as

Here's something nifty. This would be the VBA method you didn't locate. This piggy backs on the default windows program to open specific file extensions. Nearly positive this was authored by Dev Ashish and probably lives over on www.accessweb.com.

(aka, you know how when you double click a file, it opens with the appropriate program -- or asks you to tell it which to use from now on)

Mike

'***************Usage Examples***********************
'Open a folder:     ?fHandleFile("C:\TEMP\",WIN_NORMAL)
'Call Email app:    ?fHandleFile("mailto:dash10@hotmail.com",WIN_NORMAL)
'Open URL:          ?fHandleFile("http://home.att.net/~dashish", WIN_NORMAL)
'Handle Unknown extensions (call Open With Dialog):
'                   ?fHandleFile("C:\TEMP\TestThis",Win_Normal)
'Start Access instance:
'                   ?fHandleFile("I:\mdbs\CodeNStuff.mdb", Win_NORMAL)
'****************************************************

Public Function fHandleFile(stFile As String, lShowHow As Long)
Dim lRet As Long, varTaskID As Variant
Dim stRet As String
    'First try ShellExecute
    lRet = apiShellExecute(hWndAccessApp, vbNullString, _
            stFile, vbNullString, vbNullString, lShowHow)
            
    If lRet > ERROR_SUCCESS Then
        stRet = vbNullString
        lRet = -1
    Else
        Select Case lRet
            Case ERROR_NO_ASSOC:
                'Try the OpenWith dialog
                varTaskID = Shell("rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL " _
                        & stFile, WIN_NORMAL)
                lRet = (varTaskID <> 0)
            Case ERROR_OUT_OF_MEM:
                stRet = "Error: Out of Memory/Resources. Couldn't Execute!"
            Case ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND:
                stRet = "Error: File not found.  Couldn't Execute!"
            Case ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND:
                stRet = "Error: Path not found. Couldn't Execute!"
            Case ERROR_BAD_FORMAT:
                stRet = "Error:  Bad File Format. Couldn't Execute!"
            Case Else:
        End Select
    End If
    fHandleFile = lRet & _
                IIf(stRet = "", vbNullString, ", " & stRet)
End Function