Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 1 of 9

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SQL Server 2008 Books Online (September 2009)

Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32
You can use Win32 to read and write data to a FILESTREAM BLOB. The following steps are required:

1. Read the FILESTREAM file path.

2. Read the current transaction context.
3. Obtain a Win32 handle and use the handle to read and write data to the FILESTREAM BLOB.

Note:
The examples in this topic require the FILESTREAM-enabled database and table that are created in
How To: Create a FILESTREAM-Enabled Database [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/cc645585.aspx ] and How to: Create a Table for Storing FILESTREAM Data
[ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645583.aspx ] .

Reading the FILESTREAM File Path

Each cell in a FILESTREAM table has a file path that is associated with it. To read the path, use the
PathName property of a varbinary(max) column in a Transact-SQL statement. The following example
shows how to read the file path of a varbinary(max) column.

Copy Code

DECLARE @filePath varchar(max)

SELECT @filePath = Chart.PathName()

FROM Archive.dbo.Records
WHERE SerialNumber = 3

PRINT @filepath

Reading the Transaction Context

To obtain the current transaction context, use the Transact-SQL

GET_FILESTREAM_TRANSACTION_CONTEXT() [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/bb934014.aspx ] function. The following example shows how to begin a transaction and read
the current transaction context.

Copy Code

DECLARE @txContext varbinary(max)

BEGIN TRANSACTION
SELECT @txContext = GET_FILESTREAM_TRANSACTION_CONTEXT()
PRINT @txContext
COMMIT

Obtaining a Win32 File Handle

To obtain a Win32 file handle, call the OpenSqlFilestream API. This API is exported from the sqlncli.dll
file. The returned handle can be passed to any of the following Win32 APIs: ReadFile
[ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=86422 ] , WriteFile [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?
LinkId=86423 ] , TransmitFile [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=86424 ] , SetFilePointer
[ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=86425 ] , SetEndOfFile [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?
LinkId=86426 ] , or FlushFileBuffers [ http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=86427 ] . The following

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Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 2 of 9

examples show you how to obtain a Win32 File handle and use it to read and write data to a FILESTREAM
BLOB.

CSharp Copy Code

using System.IO;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Data.SqlTypes;

namespace FILESTREAM
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
SqlConnection sqlConnection = new SqlConnection(
"Integrated Security=true;server=(local)");

SqlCommand sqlCommand = new SqlCommand();

sqlCommand.Connection = sqlConnection;

try
{
sqlConnection.Open();

//The first task is to retrieve the file path

//of the SQL FILESTREAM BLOB that we want to
//access in the application.

sqlCommand.CommandText =
"SELECT Chart.PathName()"
+ " FROM Archive.dbo.Records"
+ " WHERE SerialNumber = 3";

String filePath = null;

Object pathObj = sqlCommand.ExecuteScalar();

if (DBNull.Value != pathObj)
filePath = (string)pathObj;
else
{
throw new System.Exception(
"Chart.PathName() failed"
+ " to read the path name "
+ " for the Chart column.");
}

//The next task is to obtain a transaction

//context. All FILESTREAM BLOB operations
//occur within a transaction context to
//maintain data consistency.

//All SQL FILESTREAM BLOB access must occur in

//a transaction. MARS-enabled connections
//have specific rules for batch scoped transactions,
//which the Transact-SQL BEGIN TRANSACTION statement
//violates. To avoid this issue, client applications
//should use appropriate API facilities for transaction management,
//management, such as the SqlTransaction class.

SqlTransaction transaction = sqlConnection.BeginTransaction("mainTranac

tion");
sqlCommand.Transaction = transaction;

sqlCommand.CommandText =
"SELECT GET_FILESTREAM_TRANSACTION_CONTEXT()";

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Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 3 of 9

Object obj = sqlCommand.ExecuteScalar();

byte[] txContext = (byte[])obj;

//The next step is to obtain a handle that

//can be passed to the Win32 FILE APIs.

SqlFileStream sqlFileStream = new SqlFileStream(filePath, txContext, Fi

leAccess.ReadWrite);

byte[] buffer = new byte[512];

int numBytes = 0;

//Write the string, "EKG data." to the FILESTREAM BLOB.

//In your application this string would be replaced with
//the binary data that you want to write.

string someData = "EKG data.";

Encoding unicode = Encoding.GetEncoding(0);

sqlFileStream.Write(unicode.GetBytes(someData.ToCharArray()),
0,
someData.Length);

//Read the data from the FILESTREAM

//BLOB.

sqlFileStream.Seek(0L, SeekOrigin.Begin);

numBytes = sqlFileStream.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);

string readData = unicode.GetString(buffer);

if (numBytes != 0)
Console.WriteLine(readData);

//Because reading and writing are finished, FILESTREAM

//must be closed. This closes the c# FileStream class,
//but does not necessarily close the the underlying
//FILESTREAM handle.
sqlFileStream.Close();

//The final step is to commit or roll back the read and write
//operations that were performed on the FILESTREAM BLOB.

sqlCommand.Transaction.Commit();
}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{
Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
}
finally
{
sqlConnection.Close();
}
return;
}
}
}

VisualBasic Copy Code

Imports System.IO
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.SqlClient

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Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 4 of 9

Imports System.Data.SqlTypes

Module Module1
Public Sub Main(ByVal args As String())
' Dim sqlConnection As New SqlConnection("Integrated Security=true;serve
r=(local)")
Dim sqlConnection As New SqlConnection("Integrated Security=true;server=kellyre
yue\MSSQL1")

Dim sqlCommand As New SqlCommand()

sqlCommand.Connection = sqlConnection

Try
sqlConnection.Open()

'The first task is to retrieve the file path

'of the SQL FILESTREAM BLOB that we want to
'access in the application.

sqlCommand.CommandText = "SELECT Chart.PathName()" + " FROM Archive.dbo.Rec

ords" + " WHERE SerialNumber = 3"

Dim filePath As String = Nothing

Dim pathObj As Object = sqlCommand.ExecuteScalar()

If Not pathObj.Equals(DBNull.Value) Then
filePath = DirectCast(pathObj, String)
Else
Throw New System.Exception("Chart.PathName() failed" + " to read the pa
th name " + " for the Chart column.")
End If

'The next task is to obtain a transaction

'context. All FILESTREAM BLOB operations
'occur within a transaction context to
'maintain data consistency.

'All SQL FILESTREAM BLOB access must occur in

'a transaction. MARS-enabled connections
'have specific rules for batch scoped transactions,
'which the Transact-SQL BEGIN TRANSACTION statement
'violates. To avoid this issue, client applications
'should use appropriate API facilities for transaction management,
'management, such as the SqlTransaction class.

Dim transaction As SqlTransaction = sqlConnection.BeginTransaction("mainTra

naction")
sqlCommand.Transaction = transaction

sqlCommand.CommandText = "SELECT GET_FILESTREAM_TRANSACTION_CONTEXT()"

Dim obj As Object = sqlCommand.ExecuteScalar()

Dim txContext As Byte() = Nothing

Dim contextLength As UInteger

If Not obj.Equals(DBNull.Value) Then

txContext = DirectCast(obj, Byte())
contextLength = txContext.Length()
Else
Dim message As String = "GET_FILESTREAM_TRANSACTION_CONTEXT() failed"
Throw New System.Exception(message)
End If

'The next step is to obtain a handle that

'can be passed to the Win32 FILE APIs.

Dim sqlFileStream As New SqlFileStream(filePath, txContext, FileAccess.Read

Write)

Dim buffer As Byte() = New Byte(511) {}

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Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 5 of 9

Dim numBytes As Integer = 0

'Write the string, "EKG data." to the FILESTREAM BLOB.

'In your application this string would be replaced with
'the binary data that you want to write.

Dim someData As String = "EKG data."

Dim unicode As Encoding = Encoding.GetEncoding(0)

sqlFileStream.Write(unicode.GetBytes(someData.ToCharArray()), 0, someData.L
ength)

'Read the data from the FILESTREAM

'BLOB.

sqlFileStream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin)

numBytes = sqlFileStream.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length)

Dim readData As String = unicode.GetString(buffer)

If numBytes <> 0 Then

Console.WriteLine(readData)
End If

'Because reading and writing are finished, FILESTREAM

'must be closed. This closes the c# FileStream class,
'but does not necessarily close the the underlying
'FILESTREAM handle.
sqlFileStream.Close()

'The final step is to commit or roll back the read and write
'operations that were performed on the FILESTREAM BLOB.

sqlCommand.Transaction.Commit()
Catch ex As System.Exception
Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString())
Finally
sqlConnection.Close()
End Try
Return
End Sub
End Module

ManagedCPlusPlus Copy Code

#include <windows.h>
#include <sql.h>
#include<sqltypes.h>
#include<sqlext.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <sqlncli.h>

#define COPYBUFFERSIZE 4096

/// <summary>
///This class iterates though the ODBC error queue and prints all of the
///accumulated error messages to the console.
/// </summary>

class ODBCErrors
{
private:
int m_iLine; //Source code line on which the error occurred
SQLSMALLINT m_type; //Type of handle on which the error occurred
SQLHANDLE m_handle; //ODBC handle on which the error occurred

public:

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Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 6 of 9

/// <summary>
///Default constructor for the ODBCErrors class
///</summary>

ODBCErrors()
{
m_iLine = -1;
m_type = 0;
m_handle = SQL_NULL_HANDLE;
}

/// <summary>
///Constructor for the ODBCErrors class
/// </summary>
/// <param name="iLine">
/// This parameter is the source code line
/// at which the error occurred.
///</param>
/// <param name="type">
/// This parameter is the type of ODBC handle passed in
/// the next parameter.
///</param>
/// <param name="handle">
/// This parameter is the handle on which the error occurred.
///</param>

ODBCErrors(int iLine, SQLSMALLINT type, SQLHANDLE handle)

{
m_iLine = iLine;
m_type = type;
m_handle = handle;
}

///<summary>
/// This method iterates though the error stack for the handle passed
/// into the constructor and displays those errors on the console.
///</summary>

void Print()
{
SQLSMALLINT i = 0, len = 0;
SQLINTEGER native;
SQLTCHAR state[9], text[256];
SQLRETURN sqlReturn = SQL_SUCCESS;

if ( m_handle == SQL_NULL_HANDLE )
{
wprintf_s(TEXT("The error handle is not a valid handle.\n"), m_iLine);
return;
}

wprintf_s(TEXT("Error Line(%d)\n"), m_iLine);

while( sqlReturn == SQL_SUCCESS )

{
len = 0;

sqlReturn = SQLGetDiagRec(
m_type,
m_handle,
++i,
state,
&native,
text,
sizeof(text)/sizeof(SQLTCHAR),
&len);

if ( SQL_SUCCEEDED(sqlReturn) )
wprintf_s(TEXT("Error(%d, %ld, %s) : %s\n"), i, native, state, text);
}
}

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Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 7 of 9

};

BOOL CopyFileToSQL(LPTSTR srcFilePath, LPTSTR dstFilePath, LPBYTE transactionToken, SQL

INTEGER cbTransactionToken)
{
BOOL bRetCode = FALSE;

HANDLE srcHandle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;

HANDLE dstHandle = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
BYTE buffer[COPYBUFFERSIZE] = { 0 };

TCHAR *szErrMsgSrc = TEXT("Error opening source file.");

TCHAR *szErrMsgDst = TEXT("Error opening destFile file.");
TCHAR *szErrMsgRead = TEXT("Error reading source file.");
TCHAR *szErrMsgWrite = TEXT("Error writing SQL file.");

try
{
if ( (srcHandle = CreateFile(
srcFilePath,
GENERIC_READ,
FILE_SHARE_READ,
NULL,
OPEN_EXISTING,
FILE_FLAG_SEQUENTIAL_SCAN,
NULL)) == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE )
throw szErrMsgSrc;

if ( (dstHandle = OpenSqlFilestream(
dstFilePath,
Write,
0,
transactionToken,
cbTransactionToken,
0)) == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
throw szErrMsgDst;

DWORD bytesRead = 0;
DWORD bytesWritten = 0;

do
{
if ( ReadFile(srcHandle, buffer, COPYBUFFERSIZE, &bytesRead, NULL) == 0 )
throw szErrMsgRead;

if (bytesRead > 0)
{
if ( WriteFile(dstHandle, buffer, bytesRead, &bytesWritten, NULL) == 0
)
throw szErrMsgWrite;
}
} while (bytesRead > 0);

bRetCode = TRUE;
}
catch( TCHAR *szErrMsg )
{
wprintf_s(szErrMsg);
bRetCode = FALSE;
}

if ( srcHandle != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE )
CloseHandle(srcHandle);

if ( dstHandle != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE )
CloseHandle(dstHandle);

return bRetCode;
}

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Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 8 of 9

void main()
{
TCHAR *sqlDBQuery =
TEXT("INSERT INTO Archive.dbo.Records(Id, SerialNumber, Chart)")
TEXT(" OUTPUT GET_FILESTREAM_TRANSACTION_CONTEXT(), inserted.Chart.PathName()")
TEXT("VALUES (newid (), 5, CONVERT(VARBINARY, '**Temp**'))");

SQLCHAR transactionToken[32];

SQLHANDLE henv = SQL_NULL_HANDLE;

SQLHANDLE hdbc = SQL_NULL_HANDLE;
SQLHANDLE hstmt = SQL_NULL_HANDLE;

try
{
//These statements Initialize ODBC for the client application and
//connect to the database.

if ( SQLAllocHandle(SQL_HANDLE_ENV, SQL_NULL_HANDLE, &henv) != SQL_SUCCESS )

throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_ENV, henv);

if ( SQLSetEnvAttr(henv, SQL_ATTR_ODBC_VERSION,(void*)SQL_OV_ODBC3, NULL) != SQ

L_SUCCESS )
throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_ENV, henv);

if ( SQLAllocHandle(SQL_HANDLE_DBC, henv, &hdbc) != SQL_SUCCESS )

throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_ENV, henv);

//This code assumes that the dataset name "Sql Server FILESTREAM"
//has been previously created on the client computer system. An
//ODBC DSN is created with the ODBC Data Source item in
//the Windows Control Panel.

if ( SQLConnect(hdbc, TEXT("Sql Server FILESTREAM"),

SQL_NTS, NULL, 0, NULL, 0) <= 0 )
throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_DBC, hdbc);

//FILESTREAM requires that all read and write operations occur

//within a transaction.
if ( SQLSetConnectAttr(hdbc,
SQL_ATTR_AUTOCOMMIT,
(SQLPOINTER)SQL_AUTOCOMMIT_OFF,
SQL_IS_UINTEGER) != SQL_SUCCESS )
throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_DBC, hdbc);

if ( SQLAllocHandle(SQL_HANDLE_STMT, hdbc, &hstmt) != SQL_SUCCESS )

throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_DBC, hdbc);

if ( SQLExecDirect(hstmt, sqlDBQuery, SQL_NTS) != SQL_SUCCESS )

throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_STMT, hstmt);

//Retrieve the transaction token.

if ( SQLFetch(hstmt) != SQL_SUCCESS )
throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_STMT, hstmt);

SQLINTEGER cbTransactionToken = sizeof(transactionToken);

if ( SQLGetData(hstmt, 1,
SQL_C_BINARY,
transactionToken,
sizeof(transactionToken),
&cbTransactionToken) != SQL_SUCCESS )
throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_STMT, hstmt);

//Retrieve the file path for the inserted record.

TCHAR dstFilePath[1024];
SQLINTEGER cbDstFilePath;

if ( SQLGetData(hstmt, 2, SQL_C_TCHAR, dstFilePath, sizeof(dstFilePath), &cbDst

FilePath) != SQL_SUCCESS )

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Managing FILESTREAM Data by Using Win32 Page 9 of 9

throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_STMT, hstmt);

if ( SQLCloseCursor(hstmt) != SQL_SUCCESS )
throw new ODBCErrors(__LINE__, SQL_HANDLE_STMT, hstmt);

SQLUSMALLINT mode = SQL_ROLLBACK;

if ( CopyFileToSQL(
TEXT("C:\\Users\\Data\\chart1.jpg"),
dstFilePath,
transactionToken,
cbTransactionToken) == TRUE )
mode = SQL_COMMIT;

SQLTransact(henv, hdbc, mode);

}
catch(ODBCErrors *pErrors)
{
pErrors->Print();
delete pErrors;
}

if ( hstmt != SQL_NULL_HANDLE )
SQLFreeHandle(SQL_HANDLE_STMT, hstmt);

if ( hdbc != SQL_NULL_HANDLE )
SQLDisconnect(hdbc);

if ( hdbc != SQL_NULL_HANDLE )
SQLFreeHandle(SQL_HANDLE_DBC, hdbc);

if ( henv != SQL_NULL_HANDLE )
SQLFreeHandle(SQL_HANDLE_ENV, henv);
}

See Also
Reference
OpenSqlFilestream API [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb933972.aspx ]
Concepts
Win32 and Transact-SQL Conflicts [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645941.aspx ]
Using FILESTREAM Storage in Client Applications [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/bb933877.aspx ]
FSCTL_SQL_FILESTREAM_FETCH_OLD_CONTENT [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/cc627407.aspx ]
Other Resources
Designing and Implementing FILESTREAM Storage [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/bb895234.aspx ]

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2008 Assistance [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms166016.aspx ]

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