Does any one know of an example on how to store an image in a SQL Server CE database?
What data type should the column be? (I am guessing binary.)
I use Linq-To-Datasets. Is it possible using that to put the image into the database and pull it out again later?
Thanks for any advice.
Here is how I did it:
MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream();
myBitmapImage.Save(stream, ImageFormat.Png);
myInsertLinqToDataSetRow.IMAGE_COLUMN = stream.ToArray();
To load it back out again I did this:
MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream(myLinqToDataSetRow.IMAGE_COLUMN);
myBitmapImage.SignatureImage = new Bitmap(stream);
I found a page on MSDN that said that the Image column type is going away and that you should use varbinary(MAX). Max is not supported on SQL Server CE so I did varbinary(8000).
LATER NOTE: while varbinary(max) is not supported on SQL Server CE. Varbinary(8000) is not big enough for many images. I did end up using the Image type even though it is planned to be deprecated. Once ms offers a resonable alternitive on the mobile platform I will consider switching.
Here is an MSDN article explaining how:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318639
Unfortunately, the example is in VB, but I am sure that you can get the idea of how to do it.
I would say the binary datatype would be fine for storing the images.
Why aren't you using the Image type? Here is a description of types, supported by the sql server ce.
Image - Variable-length binary data with a maximum length of 2^30 – 1 (1,073,741,823) bytes.
This is not a direct answer to your question, but I've had good success storing the image's filepath (example: C:\images\image1.png) as a string value in the database instead of the raw image.
One advantage to this is that it keeps the database size smaller.
Another is that multiple tables can point to the images without storing multiple copies of the image.
Related
I want to store an image in sql server using C# , the data type of my field is image and so I am passing a byte array to the image fields and all I get on all the records is Binary data.
Is this how it is supposed to work or what?
Thank you for your help.
Yes it is going to store the image as binary data from 0 through 2^31-1 (2,147,483,647) bytes.
Please note that Image data type will be removed in a future version of SQL Server. Avoid using these data types in new development work. Use varbinary(max) instead. (Ref)
As #AlexK. pointed out,
in Management Studio's "Table View" you will see for image/varbinary columns. If you run a SELECT it will be displayed in hexadecimal format in the Results View
and #Yogi noted:
Please note that Image data type will be removed in a future version of SQL Server. Avoid using these data types in new development work. Use varbinary(max) instead.
I am learning C# including interacting with SQL Server databases. I am stuck however, on adding PictureBox images programmatically to a SQL Server database:
I have created a form with text fields, a picture box, to display/edit/add single records to a database successfully and am successfully using all of the following:
DB Connection = RRConnection
SqlCommand object = playersCommand
SqlDataAdapter object = playersAdapter
dataTable object = playersTable
currencyManager = playerManager
PictureBox1 control = including a button to navigate filesystem and select/load jpeg image into form PictureBox1
Bindings like - txtName.DataBindings.Add("Text", playersTable, "Name") for text fields - I think I need to bind the picturebox1 IMage Byte Array but do not know how to do
When the form closes, the table is loaded into the SQLServer database table tbl_BB into the column named "Image" of type image.
I know I have to convert the image to a byte array to save, but am confused on how to bind the image byte array to the dataTable, allowing it to be uploaded to the database on form close. I've done a lot of googling on it but the solutions do not seem to match the code I am using...
Given the above, can you advise the code necessary for this?
Don't use image it will be removed from MS SQL soon.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/data-types/ntext-text-and-image-transact-sql
Just use varbinary.
the general way to do it is:
1) SQL Server will have a varbinary(max) column.
2) Take the jpeg and convert it to a byte array
3) add the byte array as a paramter to your sql command object
4) execute nonquery for insertion.
May I suggest you merely save the image on disk directly, and reference the path to the image in the DB instead? Saving images in a db is considered bad practice.
I am creating a asp.net app in C# .net 4.0 using VS 2008 & MS SQL Server 2008 R2. I want to upload image(.bmp) for each order and store it in DB corresponding to its order. It must be retrieved when View functionally is requested.
My requirement is to store images and retrieve it. Number of orders might be around 50 orders each day. It might be over be overhead as number increases. Please suggest me efficient method to overcome memory issue.
Well, you can either store them in the database as varbinary(max) or store a URL to a file. If you have 50 images a day, it might be better to go for the file and URL method.
There's advantages and disadvantages to both. But as you said you want to store them in the DB:
I think one big one on the database storage is that no one can just come along and rename / delete the folder, or mess with the files in it.
Another good point for the database is that you can restore a database and not have to try to keep the keep the folder in sync.
You can use an ImageConverter to convert between an array of bytes to an image and back
var stream = new MemoryStream();
var imageData = DataAccess.GetImageData(); //Returns a System.Linq.Binary for me
var imgageBinaryData = imageData.ImageData.ToArray(); //This returns a byte array
var img = Image.FromStream(stream); //Here is your image ready for displaying
Then to go back something like
var stream = new MemoryStream();
img.Save(stream,System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Jpeg);
var myBytes = ms.ToArray();
Edit: Oh and storing them as Jpeg rather than Bmp will save a lotta space
i need to get an image from client and displayed(preview) before saving it into database..and then should be saved in database after getting preview..?
Is is possible in Asp.net using c#... ?
Yes, it's possible.
If you are using MS SQL Server, declare a field in your table as type "image" or "varbinary". Varbinary limits the number of bytes stored depending on your version of SQL Server, so "image" is the way to go. After all, you are storing an image ;)
Then store your image as a byte array in that field.
Without seeing some code, it's hard to give code samples. Are you using SqlCommand directly, Linq2Sql, Entity framework or NHibernate to communicate with your database?
[Edit: Linq2Sql sample]
On your linq object you will have a propery called Image, if that's what you named your image/varbinary column. To assign it do this:
// assign data
byte[] imageByteArray = ...some byte data...;
myObject.Image = new Binary(imageByteArray);
// save to db
dataContext.YourTable.InsertOnSubmit(myObject); //YourTable is the name of your actual table class
dataContext.SubmitChanges();
where imageByteArray is a byte[] holding your image.
The Binary object is a wrapper around a byte[].
i'm working on Linq To Sql,WPF and i have a database now i need to save some picture in the database but i don't know which is the correct datatype to save the pictures Database(this database would be connect from 10 users in the same time).
Can you point me in the right way to overcome this step?
If i didn't wrong it is not a good idea to save pictures in the database but if you can advice me a better method i will apply it.
Thanks so much for your time.
Nice Regards
You can use a 'varbinary(MAX)' or 'image' column type. Linq2Sql will auto-generate a class that uses a Binary object to wrap your image. The Binary object is just a wrapper around a byte[].
myObject.Image = new Binary(imageByteArray);
Store your picture as a blob, the variable defined in your class containing the image could be a byte[] stream. Alternatively you just store a reference to the picture in the database and store the image on a file server.
Typically you will use a varbinary(max) -or less than max- on the database side and you will use a byte[] type in your class.
There's a lot of heated debates that occur when people talk about this, I would like to note that you might want to consider storing that path to a network folder in the database.
The disadvantage of storing the actual image in the database is that all those bytes have to get sent back and forth through a sql query and if those images are large you will be increasing the size of your db substantially. along with the weird things that were mentioned above.
Anyways I don't want to open up a can of worms, just wanted to show an alternative.
UPDATE:
Something like this:
public partial class LinqClass
{
public string ImagePath { get; set; }
public System.Drawing.Image Picture
{
get
{
return System.Drawing.Image.FromFile(ImagePath);
}
}
}
where ImagePath is the actual column in the db that you are saving the file path to. This doesn't have the code to save the file (something like File.Save(ImagePath) etc. but it's a start.
I've never done it with Linq, but we used a b64 conversion for the image, then a clob datatype. Then reverse the b64 when you want to view the image.