Greetings, fellow SQL Server enthusiasts! Today, we will delve into the fascinating world of storing and retrieving images in SQL Server. This feature can be incredibly useful in various scenarios, such as storing product images in an e-commerce database or saving user profile pictures in a social media platform.
Let’s start by looking at an example scenario. Imagine you have a table called “ImageTest” in your AdventureWorks database, and you want to insert an image into this table. Here’s a T-SQL script that demonstrates how to achieve this:
USE [AdventureWorks]
GO
-- Create Table
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[ImageTest] (
[ID] [int] IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL,
[Image] [varbinary] (MAX) NULL
) ON [PRIMARY]
GO
-- Insert Image
INSERT INTO [dbo].[ImageTest] ([Image])
SELECT * FROM OPENROWSET (BULK N'C:\ImageCode\sa.jpg', SINGLE_BLOB) AS Document
GO
-- Clean Up DB
DROP TABLE [dbo].[ImageTest]
GO
In this script, we first create a table called “ImageTest” with two columns: “ID” and “Image”. The “ID” column is an identity column, which automatically generates a unique value for each row. The “Image” column is of type “varbinary(MAX)”, which allows us to store binary data, such as images.
Next, we use the OPENROWSET function to insert an image into the “ImageTest” table. The BULK keyword specifies the path to the image file on your hard drive, and the SINGLE_BLOB option indicates that we are inserting a single binary object. In this example, we assume that the image file is located at “C:\ImageCode\sa.jpg”.
Now, let’s move on to the exciting part – retrieving the image and creating a JPG file again. I would like to challenge you, our dear reader, to come up with a solution for this. Feel free to experiment and share your solution in the comments section below. I will also provide my solution in an upcoming blog post.
Before we conclude, let me share a bit about my recent travels. I have been on a whirlwind journey, attending the MVP Summit in Seattle and now making my way to Toronto. It’s been an incredible experience, meeting fellow SQL Server enthusiasts and exchanging knowledge. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the community and help those in need.
Stay tuned for the next blog post, where I will reveal my solution for retrieving the image and creating a JPG file. Until then, happy coding!
Travel Itinerary:
- Feb 27, 2009 – Departing Ahmedabad to Mumbai
- Feb 28, 2009 – Departing Mumbai to Seattle Sheraton Hotel
- March 1, 2009 – Day 1 at MVP Summit
- March 2, 2009 – Day 2 at MVP Summit
- March 3, 2009 – Day 3 at MVP Summit
- March 4, 2009 – Day 4 at MVP Summit
- March 5, 2009 – Departing Seattle to Toronto
- March 6, 2009 – Tech User Group Meeting, Markham, Canada
- March 7, 2009 – Departing Toronto to Mumbai
- March 8, 2009 – Missing Day due to Day Line Crossing
- March 9, 2009 – Arriving in Ahmedabad