Storing all the data of a binary file into a string

[Jason Roozee]

I have submited previous posts about this but still have not come toa
conclustion. I have a crystal report file which is obviously not a text
file, it's a binary file. I want to open the file and store every single
byte of it's data in to a string variable. In my attempts using a
BinaryReader object, I've had no success. I either only get some of the data
or I get a error when PEEKing the data "Index was outside the bounds of the
array".

I have the book "Programming Microsoft Visual Basic .NET" by Microsoft as
my guide to my transision from VB6 to .NET.

In VB6 I would typically use the following code:

Dim strFileData as string
Open fileName for binary access read as #1
strFileData = string$(lof(1), 0)
get #1, , strFileData
Close #1

However, In .NET, it seems impossible. I have attached the file I am trying
to store in to a string so that anyone who would like to try to help me can
have a look at the data I am trying to store. No one seems to be able to
have an answer!

I've tried this in .NET:

Dim sr As StreamReader = File.OpenText(ReportFile.Text)
Do Until sr.Peek = -1
Dim bufferChar(0) As Char
sr.Read(bufferChar, 0, bufferChar.Length)
FileData &= bufferChar(0).ToString
Loop
sr.Close()


But the FileData.Length only ends up being ~68,000 bytes long. Whereas the
file is learly ~104,000 bytes.




Please -- ANYONE! Help me!


Thanks!

Jason Roozee

 

[Robin Tucker]

You don't say WHY you want to store it into a string variable. We might
have a better solution.

 

[Jason Roozee]

It shouldn't matter why, but ok: I'm trying to take the file's data and
store it in to a string, so I can put it in to my insert statement to put
the data of the file on a SQL server 2000 database (in to a field in a
table) so it can then be pulled from the database, re-saved to a file, and
then the file can be opened from the client end.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Robin Tucker]

Well, the SQL server database has a limit of (I think) 4000 uni-code
characters for any text field. You could use a blob field. Then you are
just reading and writing bytes, which is much simpler than string
conversions.

 

[Robin Tucker]

Also, putting it into an "insert" statement is definately the wrong thing to
do. You should have a stored procedure in your database that accepts it as
an "Image" argument (Image is essentially a binary blob). Of course, you
can use parameter fields in your command object to do this as well.

 

[Jason Roozee]

Ah-ha. And still.. I have no answer. The data type image and text on SQL
server can store 2,147,483,647 uni-code characters. Not 4000. I wasn't
planning on actually using a insert query, I was only simplifying it for
those whom are not fimular with SQL.


Thanks Robin!

Jason

 

[Robin Tucker]

Yes, I assumed you were wanting to use an nvarchar or similar. Blob fields
(Image or Text) are the way to go here I feel.

 

[Jason Roozee]

Cool..... So now I still need to get the binary data of the file...........

Jason Roozee

 

[Robin Tucker]

Ok, thats the easy part:

Public Function Load ( ByVal filePath As String) As Byte()

Dim theStream As FileStream
Dim theReader As BinaryReader
Dim theData As Byte()

Try
' Open a stream
theStream = New FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open.Open,
FileAccess.Read)

' Create a reader on the stream
theReader = New BinaryReader(theStream)

' Read in the data
theData = theReader.ReadBytes(CType(theStream.Length, Integer))

Catch ex As Exception

theData = Nothing

Finally

' Close our stream and reader

If Not theStream Is Nothing Then
theStream.Close()
End If

If Not theReader Is Nothing Then
theReader.Close()
End If
End Try

' Return the data

Return theData

End Function

 

[Jason Roozee]

Thannnk you...

Ok, thats the easy part:

Public Function Load ( ByVal filePath As String) As Byte()

Dim theStream As FileStream
Dim theReader As BinaryReader
Dim theData As Byte()

Try
' Open a stream
theStream = New FileStream(filePath, FileMode.Open.Open,
FileAccess.Read)

' Create a reader on the stream
theReader = New BinaryReader(theStream)

' Read in the data
theData = theReader.ReadBytes(CType(theStream.Length, Integer))

Catch ex As Exception

theData = Nothing

Finally

' Close our stream and reader

If Not theStream Is Nothing Then
theStream.Close()
End If

If Not theReader Is Nothing Then
theReader.Close()
End If
End Try

' Return the data

Return theData

End Function

field to

 

[John Smith]

you can't store binary data in strings since long time ago
now a string is a unicode string, not ascii string anymore
any attempt to store binary in a string will result in loss of data