How to insert a file into sql-server via tiny_tds? - sql-server

Question

In a data importing script:
client = TinyTds.Client.new(...)
insert_str = "INSERT INTO [...] (...) VALUE (...)"
client.execute(insert_str).do
So far so good.
However, how can I attach a .pdf file into the varbinary field (SQL Server 2000)?

Answer 1

I've recently had the same issue and using activerecord was not really adapted for what I wanted to do...
So, without using activerecord:
client = TinyTds.Client.new(...)
data = "0x" + File.open(file, 'rb').read.unpack('H*').first
insert_str = "INSERT INTO [...] (...) VALUE (... #{data})"
client.execute(insert_str).do
To send proper varbinary data, you need to read the file, convert it to hexadecimal string with unpack('H*').first and prepend '0x' to the result.

Answer 2

Here is PHP-MSSQL code to save binary data:
mssql_query("SET TEXTSIZE 2147483647",$link);
$sql = "UPDATE UploadTable SET UploadTable_Data = ".varbinary_encode($data)." WHERE Person_ID = '".intval($p_id)."'";
mssql_query($sql,$link) or
die('cannot upload_resume() in '.__FILE__.' on line '.__LINE__.'.<br/>'.mssql_get_last_message());
function varbinary_encode($data=null) {
$encoded = null;
if (!is_null($data)) {
$a = unpack("H*hex", $data);
$encoded = "0x";
$encoded .= $a['hex'];
}
return $encoded;
}
Here is PHP-MSSQL code to get binary data:
mssql_query("SET TEXTSIZE 2147483647",$link);
$sql = "SELECT * FROM UploadTable WHERE ID = 123";
$db_result = mssql_query($sql,$link);
// work with result like normal

Answer 3

I ended up using activerecord:
require 'rubygems'
require 'tiny_tds'
require 'activerecord-sqlserver-adapter'
..
my_table.create(:file_name => "abc.pdf", :file_data => File.open("abc.pdf", "rb").read)
For SQLServer 2000 support, go for 2.3.x version activerecord-sqlserver-adapter gem.