Help with a C++ library

[Eike]

I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
functionality of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
Picture Metadata Toolkit
(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).

I am a fairly competent VBA coder, although pretty much self taught by
this group. Consequently whilst I can happily follow/understand and use
API calls that other people have written, I don't yet have the knowledge
to implement this myself.

I have a database that I am developing to manage a digital image
collection. Not a new idea. The database takes user input to rename and
move files about, storing a bit of metadata along the way. The libraries
I have mentioned above would allow me to write 2 derived fields from the
database into the image file itself, meaning that even if the image is
renamed/separated from the database it can still be associated with its
proper source.

I am able to compile the source, but need some pointers on how to make
the functionality of the dll visible to VBA. Can anyone suggest where I
might start or any other groups who may be interested - even supplying
me with the correct terms to Google would help. Thanks...

Eike

[Douglas J. Steele]

Re: Help with a C++ library

Unfortunately, it may be that it's not possible.

Access is very picky about how it will and won't interact with COM objects.

Take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=202104 While it only
mentions Access 2000, I believe it's the same in all versions.


--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP

http://I.Am/DougSteele

(no e-mails, please!)



"Eike" <nospam.Eike@V2 1net.co.uk> wrote in message
news:db8ol4$3be $3@gemini.csx.c am.ac.uk...[color=blue]
>I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
>functionalit y of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
>Picture Metadata Toolkit
>(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).
>
> I am a fairly competent VBA coder, although pretty much self taught by
> this group. Consequently whilst I can happily follow/understand and use
> API calls that other people have written, I don't yet have the knowledge
> to implement this myself.
>
> I have a database that I am developing to manage a digital image
> collection. Not a new idea. The database takes user input to rename and
> move files about, storing a bit of metadata along the way. The libraries I
> have mentioned above would allow me to write 2 derived fields from the
> database into the image file itself, meaning that even if the image is
> renamed/separated from the database it can still be associated with its
> proper source.
>
> I am able to compile the source, but need some pointers on how to make the
> functionality of the dll visible to VBA. Can anyone suggest where I might
> start or any other groups who may be interested - even supplying me with
> the correct terms to Google would help. Thanks...
>
> Eike
>
>[/color]

[Douglas J. Steele]

Re: Help with a C++ library

Unfortunately, it may be that it's not possible.

Access is very picky about how it will and won't interact with COM objects.

Take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=202104 While it only
mentions Access 2000, I believe it's the same in all versions.


--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP

http://I.Am/DougSteele

(no e-mails, please!)



"Eike" <nospam.Eike@V2 1net.co.uk> wrote in message
news:db8ol4$3be $3@gemini.csx.c am.ac.uk...[color=blue]
>I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
>functionalit y of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
>Picture Metadata Toolkit
>(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).
>
> I am a fairly competent VBA coder, although pretty much self taught by
> this group. Consequently whilst I can happily follow/understand and use
> API calls that other people have written, I don't yet have the knowledge
> to implement this myself.
>
> I have a database that I am developing to manage a digital image
> collection. Not a new idea. The database takes user input to rename and
> move files about, storing a bit of metadata along the way. The libraries I
> have mentioned above would allow me to write 2 derived fields from the
> database into the image file itself, meaning that even if the image is
> renamed/separated from the database it can still be associated with its
> proper source.
>
> I am able to compile the source, but need some pointers on how to make the
> functionality of the dll visible to VBA. Can anyone suggest where I might
> start or any other groups who may be interested - even supplying me with
> the correct terms to Google would help. Thanks...
>
> Eike
>
>[/color]

[rude person]

Re: Help with a C++ library

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 17:36:35 +0100, Eike <nospam.Eike@V2 1net.co.uk>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
>functionalit y of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
>Picture Metadata Toolkit
>(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).[/color]
etc

I searched google (usenet) groups for "Picture Metadata Toolkit" and
it returned only six items. One was russian, two were from Kodak
saying that they haven't dropped it as a result of not supporting
TWAIN, one was your post, one was mac and one was java.
Is this thing widely used?

[rude person]

Re: Help with a C++ library

On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 17:36:35 +0100, Eike <nospam.Eike@V2 1net.co.uk>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>I am trying to find someone who can advise me on how to access the
>functionalit y of an open source library from MS Access: Specifically the
>Picture Metadata Toolkit
>(http://picturemetadata.sourceforge.net/index.html).[/color]
etc

I searched google (usenet) groups for "Picture Metadata Toolkit" and
it returned only six items. One was russian, two were from Kodak
saying that they haven't dropped it as a result of not supporting
TWAIN, one was your post, one was mac and one was java.
Is this thing widely used?

[Eike]

Re: Help with a C++ library

I cannot tell you if it is much used, I presume not since it has not
been updated in 2 years. However I was trying to use it because it was a
solidly designed open source that looked like it would fulfill my
requirements. As you say it was orignially designed by Kodak to support
the emerging EXIF standard.

I have since found the FreeImage project (freeimage.sour ceforge.net/)
another open source image processing library which seems to be more
active and includes support for Adobe's XMP standard. It also has a
prebuilt VB6 wrapper which seems to be working fine inside Access 2k.

I could still do with a few pointers if anyone is interested, but it
looks like this library will do what I want it to do. I just need to
work out how to interpret some pointers and arrays back to sensible strings.

rude person wrote:
....[color=blue]
> etc
>
> I searched google (usenet) groups for "Picture Metadata Toolkit" and
> it returned only six items. One was russian, two were from Kodak
> saying that they haven't dropped it as a result of not supporting
> TWAIN, one was your post, one was mac and one was java.
> Is this thing widely used?
>[/color]