Exporting Image data to binary files

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Exporting Image data to binary files

miked9999

SSChasing Mays

Points: 625
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November 4, 2002 at 6:34 pm

#105372

Is it possible to import a single binary/text file into an image field, and more importantly export it back again?
I'm considering embedding MSWord docs in image fields for a simple doc management system.

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Antares686 SSC Guru Points: 125444 More actions · Answer 1

This is from another site

quote:
First of all, if possible, try not to stored images and other binary files in the SQL Server tables, as they slow things down. Instead, store a link (file path) to the file in the tables and let your applications directly access the files. But if you must store these files within SQL Server, use the text/ntext or image datatype columns and consider the following options:
SQL Server 7.0 and 2000 come with a utility called textcopy.exe. You can locate this file in the Binn folder under your SQL Server installation folder. Run this file from command prompt, and it will prompt you for required input
Use the GetChunk and AppendChunk methods of ADO Field object. MSDN has examples
Use the ADO Stream object
Use the Bulk Insert Image utility (BII) that ships with SQL Server 2000 (Can be found at \Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\80\Tools\Devtools\Samples\Utils)

Simon Sabin SSCrazy Eights Points: 8142 More actions · Answer 2

textcopy works very well.

If you are going to store documents, consider storing them on a seperate filegroup, which aids backup and recovery.

Simon Sabin

Co-author of SQL Server 2000 XML Distilled

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1904347088

Simon Sabin
SQL Server MVP

http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/simons

don1941 SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4183 More actions · Answer 3

quote:
Is it possible to import a single binary/text file into an image field, and more importantly export it back again?
I'm considering embedding MSWord docs in image fields for a simple doc management system.

yes but why? The operating system file system is already better at managing these files than anything you can come up with. Consider designing your system to work with the OS instead of internalizing the files. You'll be lots better off in the long run. if you are familiar with the product eroom, it stores files (and lots of them) on the server and manages them via the data base in their native format.

Antares686 SSC Guru Points: 125444 More actions · Answer 4

quote:
quote:
Is it possible to import a single binary/text file into an image field, and more importantly export it back again?
I'm considering embedding MSWord docs in image fields for a simple doc management system.
yes but why? The operating system file system is already better at managing these files than anything you can come up with. Consider designing your system to work with the OS instead of internalizing the files. You'll be lots better off in the long run. if you are familiar with the product eroom, it stores files (and lots of them) on the server and manages them via the data base in their native format.

I always believed the OS file system was greatly better managed that SQL when comes to images. Even MS states not to store in the DB but instead on the local drive. But I keep hearing that MS plans to base the OS file system on a hybrid of the storage system in SQL in future versions. So, if that is true and they say don't store binaries ina SQL table then which side of the house is smoking crack?