Save an Image to Database in WPF using Visual Basic

Often, In applications, we require to save images to database (for eg. photograph of employee, students etc.). Here we learn how it comes in effect using WPF and VB.net.

To store an image to database, I created a table named "ImgContainer" which contains three columns -

Column Name	Data Type	Description
Id	Int	Defines as Identity and handeled by itself to generate and store the unique Id for each image stored in database
Name	Varchar	This field holds the name of each image
ImgData	Image	Image files are stored as binary in this column

Now, come to the front-end :

Controls on the interface :

Button Control

Browse... (Button1)

Upload Image to Database (Button2)

Exit (Button3)

Text Box Control

TextBox1 (Used to show the full path of the selected image)

Image Control

Image1 (To show the selected Image)

Label Control

Label1 (To display the messages/errors)

How it works?

Note : Download source code to learn in better way, code snippets are just used to clear the steps and may not work separately.

Step 1: Select a File from storage disk.

Dim FileDialog As New OpenFileDialog
FileDialog.Title = "Select A File"
FileDialog.InitialDirectory = ""            FileDialog.Filter = "Image Files (*.gif,*.jpg,*.jpeg,*.bmp,*.png)|*.gif;*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.bmp;*.png"
FileDialog.FilterIndex = 1
FileDialog.ShowDialog()

Step 2: Display the path of file in the TextBox1.

Label1.Content = FileName(TextBox1.Text.Trim)

Step 3: Display the file name on Label1

TextBox1.Text = FileDialog.FileName()

* File Dialog is a function which takes full path of the file and returns the file name.

Step 4: Display the Image in the Image Control - Image1

Dim bmp As New BitmapImage(New Uri(TextBox1.Text.Trim))
Image1.Source = bmp

* If you don't select any image file and click on cancel button of OpenFileDialog, you'll receive a message in Label1

Label1.Content = "You didn't select any image file...."

Step 5: Save image to database - When you select an image click on "Upload Image to Database" Button. If you have selected an image,
you'll receive the following message as shown in below image

Dim Stream As FileStream
Dim Reader As StreamReader
Stream = New FileStream(TextBox1.Text, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read)
Reader = New StreamReader(Stream)
Dim ImgData(Stream.Length - 1) As Byte
Stream.Read(ImgData, 0, Stream.Length - 1)
Dim str As String = "Data Source=.;uid=sa;pwd=wintellect;database=MYDATABASE"
Dim con As New SqlConnection(str)
Dim sql As String = "INSERT INTO ImgContainer (Name, ImgData) VALUES(@Name, @ImgData)"
Dim cmd As New SqlCommand(sql, con)
cmd.Parameters.Add("@Name", SqlDbType.Text).Value = FileName(TextBox1.Text.Trim)
cmd.Parameters.Add("@ImgData", SqlDbType.Binary, Stream.Length).Value = ImgData
con.Open()
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()
Label1.Content = FileName(TextBox1.Text.Trim) & " Stored Successfully...." con.Close()

Otherwise you'll receive a message at Label1 - "Empty path name is not legal".