Binary Data in a Database Field

[umilmi81]

I deal a lot with images, and I hear things about storing the binary data in a field in the database.

Does anyone actually do this? What are the advantages over simply storing it's path location as the field, and then just reading it off the disk?

[si_the_geek]

Some advantages that spring to mind:

• only the database needs to be operational, rather than another server (or the networking facilities of it)
• the data is all in one place, so is easier to back up (or replicate)
• the data is obviously data, rather than just "random files" that could be deleted or altered by someone.
• the "files" have the same security settings as the rest of the database, rather than those of the file location (which may be need to be changed for other reasons).

If you want some code to do this, see the "Tutorials" sticky thread in the Database Development forum.

[dee-u]

Storing images in Access consumes lots of space, RhinoBull has something in his sig about storing and reading images in a database, have a look...

[randem]

umilmi81,

Storing the data on disk and just a pointer to it has the speed factor. but the other side to that is the backup and maintenance factor which will be a nightmare unless you can dedicate a whole server or disk to it for security and backup reasons.