Can I return a byte array from a SQL Server VarBinary column using a parameterized query?

Question

I wrote a small VBA procedure to test uploading and downloading of files as binary data into and out of a VarBinary column in SQL Server using ADO. The upload process appears to work, but I cannot get the download process to work.

I believe the output parameter for VarBinary is setup incorrectly, but I cannot find any documentation on how to do it correctly.

I get run-time error 3708 "Parameter object is improperly defined. Inconsistent or incomplete information was provided." at line .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@myblob", adVarBinary, adParamOutput)

Update: SELECT ? = myblob FROM bin_table WHERE ID = ?; appears to be returning a binary string, not a binary array. I believe this is where the problem lies, but I still don't know how to fix it.

Update: I fixed the compile error "Type mismatch: array or user-defined type expected" by adding adding .Value to the end of the line WriteFile "C:\some_new_file.pdf", .Parameters("@myblob").

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Private Sub TestReadWriteBlob()

    Dim objConnection As New ADODB.Connection
    Dim objCommand As New ADODB.Command
    Dim objRecordset As New ADODB.Recordset
    Dim intNewID As Integer

    With objConnection
        .CursorLocation = adUseClient
        .ConnectionString = "PROVIDER=SQLOLEDB;Server=<server>;Database=<database>;UID=<uid>;PWD=<pwd>;trusted_connection=false;"
        .Open
    End With

    With objCommand
        .ActiveConnection = objConnection
        .CommandText = "INSERT INTO bin_table ( myblob ) VALUES ( ? ); SELECT ? = id FROM bin_table WHERE ID = @@IDENTITY;"
        .CommandType = adCmdText
        .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@myblob", adVarBinary, adParamInput, -1, ReadFile("C:\some_file.pdf"))
        .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@NewID", adInteger, adParamOutput)
        .Execute
        intNewID = .Parameters("@NewID")
    End With

    Debug.Print intNewID

    Set objCommand = Nothing
    With objCommand
        .ActiveConnection = objConnection
        .CommandText = "SELECT ? = myblob FROM bin_table WHERE ID = ?;"
        .CommandType = adCmdText
        .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@myblob", adVarBinary, adParamOutput)
        .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@NewID", adInteger, adParamInput, , intNewID)
        .Execute
        WriteFile "C:\some_new_file.pdf", .Parameters("@myblob").Value
    End With

End Sub

Public Function ReadFile(ByVal strPath As String) As Byte()

    Dim intFile As Integer

    intFile = FreeFile
    Open strPath For Binary Access Read As intFile
    ReDim ReadFile(LOF(intFile) - 1)
    Get intFile, , ReadFile
    Close intFile

End Function

Public Sub WriteFile(ByVal strPath As String, bytBlob() As Byte, Optional ByVal Overwrite As Boolean = True)

    Dim intFile As Integer

    intFile = FreeFile
    If Overwrite And Dir(strPath) <> "" Then
        Kill strPath
    End If
    Open strPath For Binary Access Write As intFile
    Put intFile, , bytBlob
    Close intFile

End Sub

Answer 1

I could not find any way to return the byte array from the VarBinary column in SQL Server using a parameter. I did, however, figure out that doing it from the recordset works. The attached code does the job.

I am still looking for a way to use the parameter to return the byte array and will hold out on accepting an answer for a few days in case someone has a solution.

Private Sub TestReadWriteBlob()

    Dim objConnection As New ADODB.Connection
    Dim objCommand As New ADODB.Command
    Dim intNewID As Integer

    With objConnection
        .CursorLocation = adUseClient
        .ConnectionString = "PROVIDER=SQLOLEDB;Server=<server>;Database=<database>;UID=<uid>;PWD=<pwd>;trusted_connection=false;"
        .Open
    End With

    With objCommand
        .ActiveConnection = objConnection
        .CommandText = "INSERT INTO bin_table ( myblob ) VALUES ( ? ); SELECT ? = id FROM bin_table WHERE ID = @@IDENTITY;"
        .CommandType = adCmdText
        .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@myblob", adVarBinary, adParamInput, -1, ReadFile("C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop\some_file.pdf"))
        .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@NewID", adInteger, adParamOutput)
        .Execute
        intNewID = .Parameters("@NewID")
    End With

    Set objCommand = Nothing
    With objCommand
        .ActiveConnection = objConnection
        .CommandText = "SELECT myblob FROM bin_table WHERE ID = ?;"
        .CommandType = adCmdText
        .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("@NewID", adInteger, adParamInput, , intNewID)
        WriteFile "C:\Users\Thomas\Desktop\blob\some_file.pdf", .Execute.Fields("myblob").Value
    End With

End Sub

Public Function ReadFile(ByVal strPath As String) As Byte()

    Dim intFile As Integer

    intFile = FreeFile
    Open strPath For Binary Access Read As intFile
    ReDim ReadFile(LOF(intFile) - 1)
    Get intFile, , ReadFile
    Close intFile

End Function

Public Sub WriteFile(ByVal strPath As String, bytBlob() As Byte, Optional ByVal Overwrite As Boolean = True)

    Dim intFile As Integer

    intFile = FreeFile
    If Overwrite And Dir(strPath) <> "" Then
        Kill strPath
    End If
    Open strPath For Binary Access Write As intFile
    Put intFile, , bytBlob
    Close intFile

End Sub