Ole

[Hutch]

I need all the help i can get on this one, even if someone could point me in the right direction. I want to store a pdf file for every Form i have in my database, it is going to be linked to a button on the form so when clicked this pdf will pull up and be like a "Help" document. I want it to be inside the database instead of linking it to another folder which is what i am doing right now with the Shell command. any help as always is very appreciated. thank you.

[Scott Price]

I need all the help i can get on this one, even if someone could point me in the right direction. I want to store a pdf file for every Form i have in my database, it is going to be linked to a button on the form so when clicked this pdf will pull up and be like a "Help" document. I want it to be inside the database instead of linking it to another folder which is what i am doing right now with the Shell command. any help as always is very appreciated. thank you.

My suggestion is don't!!! Storing images in Access is always a tricky process, and results in lots of Database BLOAT...

Why not convert your pdf's to text and place the appropriate text in popup forms for your adhoc help files?

Regards,
Scott

[MarkNeumann]

Isn't there a way to create a field which is a link to the PDF in question? So instead of storing the file in the database you store it along with the database and then have links to the pertinent references when needed?

[Scott Price]

Isn't there a way to create a field which is a link to the PDF in question? So instead of storing the file in the database you store it along with the database and then have links to the pertinent references when needed?

I think that's what Hutch is currently doing...

Regards,
Scott

[Hutch]

My suggestion is don't!!! Storing images in Access is always a tricky process, and results in lots of Database BLOAT...

Why not convert your pdf's to text and place the appropriate text in popup forms for your adhoc help files?

Regards,
Scott

Adhoc? Popup? how would i go about this.

[Scott Price]

Adhoc? Popup? how would i go about this.

Well... How are you currently storing the linked files? How are you currently calling the linked files?

(Ad hoc means improvised or impromptu in this case :-)...

Extract the text from your pdf files and store them in a table somewhere in your db... Call it tblHelp if you like. This will ideally have three fields: HelpID, HelpText, FormID. You will then have to number your forms by placing an invisible unbound text box on the form with a permanent number in it.

Next make a query that pulls each help record with a WHERE criteria that points to the formid, i.e:

WHERE tblHelp.FormID = [Forms]![FormX]![TxtFormID]

Now create your help form, and bind it to your help query. All it will need is two controls: A large text box (or possibly listbox) for displaying the help text, and an invisible text box for holding the FormID value. In the form's properties, make it a popup.

Feel free to ask any more questions. This is just an idea, mind :-)

Regards,
Scott