Inserting And Retrieving Images To/From Database In ASP.NET

You shouldn't store images in a database.  You should store them in the filesystem and refer to the filenames in your database.  That is easier and also more efficient.  Cheers!

If you must store images in a database, use BLOB columns.

Hay @ruky do you  Programm ?? or do you do database huh i would like to know yah ooo because i do know you stay @ Ipaja area.  Well ASP.NET really sucks for me don't know why i use PHP/MySql

Ok Ruky,

I hardly come across programming girls in naija! I thot all they knew was lipsticks (apology) I would holla ya from my email and we can talk.

PHP
MYSQL
JAVASCRIPT
JAVA (in view)

www.codixel.com (under construction)

Damilare .

Did i hear the words "female programmer" ?? Good heavens! U are welcome, sure u'll get all the support u need. But I don't do ASP.NET (yet), only technology i know now is C#.

ruky_ivy, I was talking of most girls  . I think I'm not the only programmer who gets excited about seeing a female programmer -- and a pretty one at that.

I seem to have left the code I'm talking about back in Nigeria. These articles should be helpful but if you have problems you can buzz me on Yahoo Messenger. Don't worry if it indicates 'offline' -- I'm always online, although I might not be around.

Here are the links:

1. If you want to display the images inline in your page

2. For displaying in a datagrid or repeater try this and this. I'd recommend the second one if you're using Visual Web Developer (Asp.NET 2.0).

 I am of the view that you keep your images along with other data in the database. Poeple keep images in the filesystem simply because they find it difficult to put them in the database.

Although I don't program ASP.NET but I've done it in C# and VB.NET.

Create a BLOB column in the database where you will write the image.

The column expects a binary array so you have to convert your image to a series of bytes you can store in an array.

This is done as follows.

1- Use the image.Save method to save to a memory stream, make sure the you specify the image format to be raw.

2- Copy the memory stream to a byte array

3- Write the array to the column.

to read from the column back to an Image

1- Read the column into a byte array

2- Write the byte array into a memory stream

3- Use the Image.FromStream method to reconstruct back an Image object


I hope this will get you through, though no code snippets are provided.

If you are using asp.net 2.0 or 3.0 and sql server 2005. You can use the fileupload server control to get the image from a file on the client. If the image is larger than 80KB, Read it in chunk and update the field on the server with the chunk. The data type for this field should be the varbinary or image sql datatype.

To retrieve this image for display, you have to create an ashx file which implements IHandler Interface. Store the image from the database in the ashx file and let the control that would display the image point to the ashx file as the image url.

Storing images on database gives more control over the management of those images, and enhances bulk update of the database. I recomend storage of images on the server.

NOTE:
If you want the code that would do the storage and retrieval of images on a database, you may patronise my components. I have a component that does that on sale. The present implementation is on dot Net framework 2.0 and sql server 2005.  It goes for $200.00.

You may reach me at:
Micro Solutions Building
11 Shasha Road, Akowonjo (Opposite Union bank)
Lagos State.
My direct line is 08066083333.

UCard
(a technology evolving from Nigeria)

I never knew one can get a wet dream by just discussing with a female on a forum. But since you fear getting
a wet dream, I recomend you see a doctor. Sorry we're only programmers, we can't help you on that.