Out Tag - Displaying Images

Objective

To display image data stored directly on a database by using an Out tag an an AutoTag template.

Background Information

Your images may be stored in a file system, with a file path in a database for retrieval, or the image may be stored in the database itself. If the image itself is in the database you'll want to use an Out tag to display it, otherwise Import tag is your best choice.

Pre-requisites

Inserting a Tag, ForEach Tag

Starting Template

Start with a template that looks similar to the following. This is simple a table with a ForEach tag looping through the Employees table in the sample MSSQL datasource (See the Connecting to an SQL Datasource tutorial).

Procedure

1. Add a Column for Photos

We want to make this directory a picture directory so we need to add a column for Photos. Insert a column, then insert an Out tag which will contain the Photo data item.

Show Me How!

2. Change Out Tag Type to "Bitmap"

With the Photo Out tag selected, select "Bitmap" from the Type drop-down box on the right side of the AutoTag ribbon. This is important because it let's AutoTag know that you intend to display this tag as an image. When you do this, it will change to an image object in Word.

Show Me How!

3. Generate Document

Now generate the document and view the results. Next we'll look at changing the size.

Show Me How!

4. Change the Size

Now we'll change the size of the displayed bitmap image. There are a couple of ways of doing this. First is obviously selecting the image and dragging the points along the edge, however there is also a drop-down box in AutoTag that lets you select presets. We'll go ahead and drag the image handles to resize it.

Show Me How!

5. Generate Again

Generate the document again the see the result of the changes you made.

Show Me How!

Quiz Yourself!

Can you use the out tag to insert images which are stored as files?
No. The out tag will only insert images which are stored in the database. I can use the "import" tag to insert images that are stored as files online or on my local file system.
Yes. I just have to combine the out tag with an image in Microsoft Office.
Yes. It works just the same as inserting images from the database.

Congratulations!

You have completed this tutorial. We recommend taking a look at the Import Tag tutorial next!

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