Saving an Image file to sql Server and converting byte array into image

Question

I am storing images in a database and would like to convert them from byte array to image. I have no problem converting an object to byte array but I get an error of "Parameter is not valid" when trying to convert from byte array to image. The object I am passing to my method is from a dataset row.

Stored procedure

USE [----------------]
GO
/****** Object:  StoredProcedure [dbo].[usp_imageloader_add_test]    Script Date: 01/16/2012    09:19:46 ******/
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
ALTER   procedure [dbo].[usp_imageloader_add_test]
@p_Image Image
as 

INSERT into Test_Images VALUES(@p_Image)

Upload File control /convert Image file to byte array and save data to database

 protected void btnUpload_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (ctrlUpload.PostedFile != null)
        {
            if (ctrlUpload.PostedFile.ContentLength > 0)
            {
                // Get Posted File
                HttpPostedFile objHttpPostedFile = ctrlUpload.PostedFile;

                // Find its length and convert it to byte array
                int ContentLength = objHttpPostedFile.ContentLength;

                // Create Byte Array
                byte[] bytImg = new byte[ContentLength];

                // Read Uploaded file in Byte Array
                objHttpPostedFile.InputStream.Read(bytImg, 0, ContentLength);

                using (SqlConnection dbConnection = new SqlConnection(app_settings.sql_conn_string_db))
                {
                    try
                    {
                        string sql = "usp_imageloader_add_test";
                        SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand(sql, dbConnection);
                        cmd.CommandType = System.Data.CommandType.StoredProcedure;
                        cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@p_Image", bytImg).SqlDbType = SqlDbType.Binary;
                        cmd.Connection.Open();
                        cmd.ExecuteNonQuery();
                        cmd.Connection.Close();
                    }


                    catch (Exception ex)
                    {
                        ex.Message.ToString();
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

Table method which calls objToImg method

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        generateTable(false);
    }


private Table generateTable(bool flag)
    {
        Table tb = BuildList(GetData(), flag);
        if (imgloadercms != null)
        {

            PlaceHolder ph = new PlaceHolder();
            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
            ph.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl(sb.ToString()));
        }
        imgloadercms.Controls.Add(tb);
        return tb;
    }


protected Table BuildList(DataTable tb, bool flag)
    {   
        Table tblImageLibrary = new Table();
        tblImageLibrary.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.Solid;
        tblImageLibrary.BorderWidth = Unit.Pixel(8);

        if (tb.Rows.Count > 0)
        {
            try
            {
                if (!flag)
                {

                    tblImageLibrary.BorderColor = Color.Black;
                    tblImageLibrary.BorderWidth = Unit.Pixel(1);
                    TableRow tr = new TableRow();  // Table row for header of table
                    tr.BackColor = Color.LightBlue;

                    TableCell c1 = new TableCell();
                    TableCell c2 = new TableCell();


                    c1.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Image Id"));
                    tr.Cells.Add(c1);
                    c2.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl("Image"));
                    tr.Cells.Add(c2);

                    tblImageLibrary.Rows.Add(tr);
                }

                int i = 0;

                foreach (DataRow r in tb.Rows) // Create new row foreach row in table
                {
                    TableRow tr = new TableRow();
                    if (i % 2 == 0)
                    {
                        tr.BackColor = Color.LightYellow;
                    }
                    // Build cells
                    TableCell c1 = new TableCell();
                    TableCell c2 = new TableCell();
                    c2.Width = 300;

                    c1.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl(r["Image_Id"].ToString()));
                    tr.Cells.Add(c1);

                    // Call method to serialize obj to byte array
                    //System.Drawing.Image dbImg = 
                    ObjToImg(r["Image_File"]);

               }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                ex.ToString();
            }
            if (!flag)
            {

            }
        }
        return tblImageLibrary;
    }

Return Image

  private System.Drawing.Image ObjToImg(object obj)
    {
        //byte[] byteArray = null;

        if (obj == null)
            return null;
        else
        {

            BinaryFormatter bf = new BinaryFormatter();
            using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
            {
                bf.Serialize(ms, obj); //now in Memory Stream
                ms.ToArray(); // Array object
                ms.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);

                //return (System.Drawing.Image)bf.Deserialize(ms);

                System.Drawing.Image myImage = (System.Drawing.Image)bf.Deserialize(ms);

                return myImage;
            }

Whenever I try to add the memory stream object to the image object constructor I get the error message of "Parameter is not valid". Maybe I made a mistake when insert the byte array into the database because I have looked at other code and it doesn't make sense how it's not working.

Answer 1

Try to deserialize the object first from byte array with your BinaryFormatter!

Try to use following two methods:

private System.Drawing.Image ObjToImg(byte[] obj)
    {
        if (obj == null)
            return null;
        else
        {
            BinaryFormatter bf = new BinaryFormatter();
            using(MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(obj))
            {
              return (System.Drawing.Image)bf.Deserialize(ms);
            }
        }
    }
private byte[] ImgToObj(System.Drawing.Image obj)
    {
        if (obj == null)
            return null;
        else
        {
            BinaryFormatter bf = new BinaryFormatter();
            using(MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream())
            {
              bf.Serialize(ms, obj);
              return ms.ToArray();
            }
        }
    }