Hello:

I've a client who is considering using MySQL as a backend to an Access database. I've successfully built several Access databases with MySQL backends. However, I've never needed to store OLE Objects in any of these database.

After some research, I've discovered that MySQL has a LongBLOB data type that is suppose to be able to used similarly to the OLE Object Type data type in Access.

1. Does anyone out there have any experience using MySQL LongBLOB data types?
2. If so, do they act and feel like OLE Data type fields in the Access frontend?
A. Will end users be able to right-click on the field and INSERT an object?

This is very important - as the field needs to be very user friendly in this application.

Thanks in advance for your advice

Rose_Gardener

Just to be sure... what are those you want to store? Piles of text or actual binary data based on say a file or pictures?

If text, you may want to use TEXT which converts into Access's Memo. (Access's Text isn't same thing as MySQL's TEXT)

If binary, then:

Disclaimer: I've not had done it before and this is based on what I know about OLE Object.

I'm inclined to say you don't really want to go to the effort of representing BLOB in OLE Object and it may be better to use code to access binary objects directly and make them available in whatever format you need it to be.

If it's a picture, take a look at this thread.

Users will be storing links to word doc files or pdf files.

On another note. I took a look at the thread you suggested. I don't need to do anything nearly as complicated as what the author of that thread was talking about. Although, he did make one very important comment, that helps.



It's good to know that the BLOB field shows up as an OLE Object data type in the linked table. He also says that he is able to "save and retrieve the image". This is a good sign that my end users should be able to use the field just as they would an OLE Object field. But, I'd still like to hear from someone who's actually used the BLOB field in an Access frontend.

1. Can users right-click and insert links to Word docs or pdfs?
2. Can they open said word docs and pdfs by double-clicking on the field?

Thanks in advance.

Rose_Gardener