## QPix v2.2x | ## An image database step by step

Chapter index | Step: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

# Introduction

Building a simple database is the best way to see how QPix fits in your projects. Reading this manual further will give you more information which you can convert to inspiration and build great image databases. The material in this chapter is coarsely based on the demo database that is included, non compiled, in the QPix distribution package.

A basic image database needs a handful of image-related functions. These include the identification of image files, reading of image properties, creation and compression of thumbnails, storage of thumbnails and textual information in the datafile, display of thumbnails, and access to the original media.

We will now see how these can be accomplished with 4D and QPix. For storing image information in the database we will use the [Images] table that has the following structure:

xThumbnail_ | Picture | The image's thumbnail, compressed with QuickTime
FullPath | Text | The full pathname to the original image on disk
Width | Longint | The image's width
Height | Longint | The image's height
Depth | Longint | The image's color depth in bits
HorzRes | Longint | The image's horizontal resolution
VertRes | Longint | The image's vertical resolution

We are now ready to write the code. The steps are the following:

- Step 1: Make sure QuickTime is installed and register QPix
- Step 2: Test an image file on disk
- Step 3: Getting the properties of the image
- Step 4: Creating a thumbnail
- Step 5: Compressing the thumbnail
- Step 6: Setting up the QPix area & displaying the thumbnail