I want to store a .pdf file in a SQL database and then recall it to display the contents on the screen?

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I am contemplating a new project for my personal use. I want to scan a document into a .pdf file and store that info into a sql database by filename. Then recall using part of the filename, and display it on the screen. I haven't even started to write any code yet.

It's still just a thought in my mind. I just want to be sure it's possible before I start swinging at windmills.

What I have tried:

Nothing yet, It's still just a thought in my mind. I just want to be sure it's possible before I start swinging at windmills.

Posted 7-Feb-21 10:33am

Member 10376725

Updated 7-Feb-21 22:29pm

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Luc Pattyn 7-Feb-21 16:44pm

If you're not sure it can be done, how can you even begin to hope you could do it???

Member 10376725 8-Feb-21 7:47am

That's a rather silly question from a "developer". There are a lot of things I wasn't sure that I could do in the past, I am a visionary and succeeded in accomplishing them all.

Dave Kreskowiak 7-Feb-21 16:55pm

Sure, it's possible. The practicality of such remains a question though.

2 solutions

Solution 2

My personal preference is to store the file on our file system and just record the name and location of the file on the actual database (I also store other information such as version number, date amended, author etc). Saves having to handle the byte array but does "disconnect" the data. As I said, personal preference.

Posted 7-Feb-21 22:29pm

CHill60

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OriginalGriff · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-07T10:51:00

Yes, it can be done - SQL doesn't care what data columns contain, as long as you store it in the right type of column.

PDF files are either 8-bit binary files or 7-bit ASCII text files, so the safest thing to do is store them in a VARBINARY column and pass the data through via a parameterised query, along with the filename.

You can then retrieve it with an LIKE query on the filename:

SQL

SELECT ... WHERE FileNameColumn LIKE '%March 2020%'

will return any filename with the text "March 2020" in it, for example. Again - obviously - a parameterised query is mandatory!

When you do that, you have the data in a byte array, and can display in whatever you need to.