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Graph: dbPix image storage vs OLE Embedding and Linking in Microsoft Access


Access & jpg - MS Access jpeg techniques

    
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Graphics Filters - OLE Embedding and Linking - Third party Solutions - Resources 

About JPEG

JPEG/JPG is one of the most common image formats in use today, having been popularized by the World Wide Web and the proliferation of digital-cameras and imaging devices. JPEG is best suited for photographic images, where it achieves very high compression with acceptable quality loss.

JPEG is therefore a good choice for building database systems with images, such as product, personnel or incident photos, however, due to it's 'lossy' nature and the inclusion of metadata (eg EXIF info) jpg images require careful handling and processing to avoid quality and data loss.


Imaging for Access that's Easy, Efficient & Fast
  • NO OLE Bloat
  • NO App Dependencies
  • NO Complex Coding
  • NO Performance Penalty
  •  DBPix logo
    Read More

    JPEG support in MS Access

    MS Access has no native JPEG support - Access relies on external applications or components to deal with the jpg image format. Below are some of the most common JPEG techniques used in Access:

    Office Graphics Filters

    Office includes a jpeg 'graphics filter' which can be used to display jpg image files using the built-in Access Image Control (aka 'Image Frame'). However, there are several drawbacks to this approach:
    • jpg graphics filter setup.
      The jpeg graphics filter is an optional office component, so users may need to retrieve the Office CD-ROMs and manually install the filter using the custom setup option.
    • 'Scroll too quick' crash and progress dialog.
      Developers often complain about the "annoying progress dialog" that is displayed while the jpeg filter decodes a .jpg file, as well as a crash problem if users scroll too quickly through records. Suppressing the dialog requires modifying the registry on each user's machine.
    • No native support for storing jpg images in a table.
      Working with jpg images stored in a table requires extensive coding and the overhead of extracting jpeg images to temporary files.
    • Different behaviours for different file extensions (.jpg .jpeg .jfif .JPG .JPEG).

    OLE Embedding and Linking.

    This technique is covered in detail elsewhere on this site. In summary, it can cause several common & serious problems when handling jpeg images in Access. Also, in Office 2003 Microsoft no longer supplies an 'OLE Server' for the jpeg image format.

    Common problems include configuration and installation issues, a storage overhead that can be up to 200 *times* the original file size, loss of metadata (eg the EXIF info in JPEG photos), loss of quality when 'extracting' back to a jpeg file, and lack of interoperability due to proprietary formatting.


    Third party Solutions

    A wide range of image controls and components are available, but there are special requirements for controls to work well in Access.

    DBPix was specifically designed by imaging specialists to work optimally in Access, and to make the most of the jpeg format.

    DBPix can bind directly to jpg data in tables, resulting in 'no code' solutions (zero lines), with none of the storage overhead of some other approaches.

    DBPix offers enhanced capabilities, such as lossless jpeg rotation, zoom, pan, scanner integration, an image & EXIF info viewer, and optimal EXIF handling. DBPix can be easily and reliably installed (transparently to the user) and is not affected if users install other applications or change the registered application for the jpg/jpeg file extensions.


    Imaging for Access that's Easy, Efficient & Fast
  • NO OLE Bloat
  • NO App Dependencies
  • NO Complex Coding
  • NO Performance Penalty
  •  DBPix logo
    Read More

    Resources & Links

    DBPix Image Control
    DBPix Samples
    Pictures in Access Forms & Reports - Access 2003 OLE Object Photo Image & Picture Problems
    Access Image Database Techniques

    Joint Photographic Experts Group
    World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) JPEG page
    The JPEG FAQ, at faqs.org

    MS KB 123151: ACC: Why OLE Objects Cause Databases to Grow
    MS KB 817095: Photo Editor is removed when you install Office 2003
    MS Office Online: What happened to Photo Editor?
    MS KB 103257: ACC: Reading, Storing, & Writing Binary Large Objects (BLOBs)
    MS KB 210486: ACC2000: Reading, Storing, and Writing Binary Large Objects (BLOBs)