How can a relative path specify a linked table in Access 2007? - ms-access

Question

I have a front end and back end of an Access database. The front end references linked tables and I need to do a relative link instead of an explicit one i.e. "../database" is referenced instead of "address/database"
Is it possible to do this, or must I specify the absolute path?

Answer 1

Tables linked to files (such as mdb, accdb, dbf, etc.) require absolute paths in their connection strings.
However there is a workaround: during the database startup you can use vba to redefine the the links to match the directory of the current database instance.
(The code below has not been tested / debugged)
Private Sub RelinkTables()
Dim oldConnection As String
Dim newConnection As String
Dim currentPath As String
currentPath = CurrentProject.Path
Dim tblDef As TableDef
For Each tblDef In CurrentDb.TableDefs
oldConnection = tblDef.Connect
' Depending on the type of linked table
' some string manipulation which defines
' newConnection = someFunction(oldConnection,currentPath)
tblDef.Connect = newConnection
tblDef.RefreshLink
Next tblDef
End Sub

Answer 2

I have tried some of the answers above, especially the answer of Martin Thompson which I got some errors with, and thus modified it as follows:
Public Function reLinkTables() As Boolean
On Error GoTo ErrorRoutine
Dim sMyConnectString As String
Dim tdf As TableDef
Dim db_name As String
' The Main Answer is by Martin Thompson
' Modified by Dr. Mohammad Elnesr
'We will link all linked tables to an accdb Access file located in the same folder as this file.
'Replace the DATA file name in the following statement with the name of your DATA file:
sMyConnectString = ";DATABASE=" & CurrentProject.Path & "\"
For Each tdf In CurrentDb.TableDefs
If Len(tdf.Connect) > 0 Then
'It's a linked table, so re-link:
'First, get the database name
db_name = GetFileName(tdf.Connect)
' Then link the table to the current path
tdf.Connect = sMyConnectString & db_name
tdf.RefreshLink
End If
Next tdf
ExitRoutine:
MsgBox "All tables were relinked successfully"
Exit Function
ErrorRoutine:
MsgBox "Error in gbLinkTables: " & Err.Number & ": " & Err.Description
Resume ExitRoutine
End Function
Function GetFileName(FullPath As String) As String
Dim splitList As Variant
splitList = VBA.Split(FullPath, "\")
GetFileName = splitList(UBound(splitList, 1))
End Function
After fininshing this, Goto Access Ribon>Create>Macro From the dropdown select "RunCode", then in the function name type "reLinkTables" which we typed here. Then save the macro with the name "AutoExec". Every time you open the database, all the linked tables will be relinked to the original path. This is very useful if you put your databases in a portable media.

Answer 3

As far as I know, your TableDef's Connect property requires an absolute path. If I'm wrong on that point, I hope someone will tell how to create a linked table using a relative path.
Take a look at Armen Stein's free utility to manage your table links: J Street Access Relinker

Answer 4

Here is a simple routine that worked for me:
Public Function gbLinkTables() As Boolean
On Error GoTo ErrorRoutine
Dim sMyConnectString As String
Dim tdf As TableDef
'We will link all linked tables to an accdb Access file located in the same folder as this file.
'Replace the DATA file name in the following statement with the name of your DATA file:
sMyConnectString = ";database=" & CurrentProject.Path & "\Loan-Tracking-Data.accdb"
For Each tdf In CurrentDb.TableDefs
If Len(tdf.Connect) > 0 Then
'It's a linked table, so re-link:
tdf.Connect = sMyConnectString
tdf.RefreshLink
End If
Next tdf
ExitRoutine:
Exit Function
ErrorRoutine:
MsgBox "Error in gbLinkTables: " & Err.Number & ": " & Err.Description
Resume ExitRoutine
End Function

Answer 5

The following code has been tested in the Form_Load event of the form listed in the "Display Form" option for the database; that is the form that loads whenever the database is opened. This code could also be called from the AutoExec macro for the database:
Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim strOldConnect As String
Dim strNewConnect As String
Dim intSlashLoc As Integer
Dim intEqualLoc As Integer
Dim strConnect As String
Dim strFile As String
Dim strCurrentPath As String
strCurrentPath = CurrentProject.path
Dim tblDef As TableDef
Dim tblPrp As Property
For Each tblDef In CurrentDb.TableDefs
Debug.Print tblDef.Name
If tblDef.Connect & "." <> "." Then
strOldConnect = tblDef.Connect
intEqualLoc = InStr(1, strOldConnect, "=", vbTextCompare)
strConnect = Left(strOldConnect, intEqualLoc)
intSlashLoc = InStrRev(strOldConnect, "\", -1, vbTextCompare)
strFile = Right(strOldConnect, Len(strOldConnect) - intSlashLoc)
strNewConnect = strConnect & strCurrentPath & "\" & strFile
tblDef.Connect = strNewConnect
tblDef.RefreshLink
End If
Next tblDef
End Sub

Answer 6

you can make a "calculated" field.. works for me in Office Access 2016
"F:\Komponenten\Datenbank\Bilder\" & [Kategorie] & "\Pinout\" & [Bezeichnung] & ".jpg"
maybe there are better solutions, see images
calculated path
result