Attaching and importing image files in one click

Suppose you want to send an image to someone, and to save your recipient the extra step of having to launch or open the file attachment to preview the image, you want to display the image in the document and attach the image file for downloading. Attaching and importing images is usually a two-step process: First, you attach the image by choosing File - Attach, and then to import the image into a document, you choose File - Import.

But no longer-you can attach and import image files in one step by:

1. Creating three fields on a form: a field to host the file attachment, a field to display the image, and another to display the file name.
2. Creating a hotspot button that attaches and displays the image file with one click.

We'll also tell you how to remove the image and file attachment from the document with one click.

Creating the form fields

Create or modify a form, adding the following fields:

Field name	Field type	Description
img	Rich text	Hosts the image as a file attachment.
img_display	Rich text	Displays the imported image in the document.
img_name	Text (editable)	Displays the name of the attached file.

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Creating the hotspot button

Now create a hotspot button and label it Attach & Display. Then copy and paste the following code into the programmer's pane:

FIELD img_name := img_name;
previous := @Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1);
@If(@IsDocBeingEdited;"";@Command([EditDocument]));
@Command([ToolsRunMacro]; "Kill");
@Command ([EditGotoField]; "img");
@If(img_name = "";@Command([EditInsertFileAttachment]);"");
@If(img_name !="";@Prompt([OK];"Error";
"There is already an image attached");
@Do(
@If(@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1) = previous; "";
@Right(@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1);3)="jpg";
@Command([EditDetach];@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1); 
"c:\\image.jpg");
@Right(@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1);3)="gif";
@Command([EditDetach];
@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1); 
"c:\\image.gif");"");
@SetField("img_name"; @Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1));
@Command ( [EditGotoField]; "img_display" );				
@If(@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1) = previous; 				
@SetField("img_name";"");				
@Right(@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1);3)="jpg";				
@Command ( [FileImport]; "JPEG Image"; "c:\\image.jpg" );				
@Right(@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1);3)="gif";				
@Command ( [FileImport]; "GIF Image"; "c:\\image.gif" );				
@Subset(@AttachmentNames;-1)="";				
"";@Prompt([OK];"Error";"Not a Valid Image File"))))

The formula does the following:

1. Checks whether or not the document is in edit mode.
2. If the document is in edit mode, the formula attaches the image to the img field using @Command([EditInsertFileAttachment]).
3. After attaching the image, the formula detaches the image to a temporary location (C:\) using @Command([EditDetach]).
4. Next, the formula adds the image file name in the img_name field.
5. Last, the formula shifts the focus on the document to the img_display field using @Command([EditGotoField]). Then the @Command([FileImport]) formula imports the image.

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Cleaning up the temporary location

After importing the image from its temporary location, the formula triggers an agent called Kill that deletes the image copies from the C:\ directory using the LotusScript Kill function. Create a LotusScript agent in the Notes database, call it Kill, and then copy and paste the following code into the agent's Initialize subroutine:

Sub Initialize
	On Error Resume Next
	Kill "c:\image.jpg"
	On Error Resume Next
	Kill "c:\image.gif"
	On Error Resume Next
End Sub	

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Removing the image from the document

What if you add the wrong image to your document? Do you have to delete the image, file attachment, and name from all three fields? No need-just create another hotspot button and label it Clear Image. Then copy and paste the following code into the programmer's pane:

Sub Click(Source As Button)
	Dim workspace As New NotesUIWorkspace
	Dim uidoc As NotesUIDocument
	Set uidoc = workspace.CurrentDocument
	Call uidoc.FieldClear( "img" )
	Call uidoc.FieldClear( "img_display")
	Call uidoc.FieldClear( "img_name" )
End Sub

This button removes the image, attachment, and text from all fields with a single click. Now you are all set, and users will love the way your Notes document displays images as they are attached to the documents!

About the author

Ashok Hariharan is a contributor to the Lotus Developer Domain. LDD is the premier technical Web site for Lotus software products.