Save Ink to image or database (MS SQL)

[Fabio Reynoso]

Hi all.

I'd like to be able to save Ink (from Ink enabled applications) to an image
or a MS SQL Server Database. I already made work the ink, but don't know
how to save it.

Thanks for any advise.

Regards,

Fabio Reynoso

[Wayne Niddery [TeamB]]

Fabio Reynoso wrote:
>
> I'd like to be able to save Ink (from Ink enabled applications) to an
> image or a MS SQL Server Database. I already made work the ink, but
> don't know how to save it.

What form are you holding the ink data? I would assume a stream, or at least
you can save it to (memory) stream. If so then you can get it to the
database using a parameterized Insert statement (the field in the database
should be an appropriate blob type).

E.g: setting the SQL of the dataset component to:
insert into mytable (fld1, fld2, inkfield) values (:fld1, :fld2,
:inkfield);
You can now assign the parameters of the dataset. The parameter for inkfield
should be a blob field with methods to read from the stream.

--
Wayne Niddery - Winwright, Inc (www.winwright.ca)
"Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others
as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse
pulling the wagon." - Winston Churchill

[Fabio Reynoso]

Thanks Wayne for you help.

Right now I'm not hold or saving the ink.

Here's an example written in C# which I've tried to recreate in Delphi, but
I guess I'm missing something because it doesn't work for me.

private void button3_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
FileStream fs = new FileStream(@"..\myink.gif",FileMode.Create);
byte[] inkBytes = inkOverlay.Ink.Save(PersistenceFormat.Gif);
fs.Write(inkBytes, 0, inkBytes.Length);
fs.Close();
}

This example saves the ink to an image (gif file).

The following one saves it to a MS SQL Server Database Table, but I can't
get it to in Delphi (of course trying to replicate it with delphi code).

Private Sub btnSaveDB_Click(ByVal sender As _
System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _
Handles btnSaveDB.Click

' The SQL Server Image datatype is a binary datatype.
' To save it to the database we must convert the ink
' to an array of bytes. We will use
' MemoryStream with the inkCollector.Ink.Save method.
Dim Filename As String
Dim isf As Byte()

If inkEdFileName.Text.Length = 0 Then
MessageBox.Show("You must enter a file name.", _
"Missing File Name", _
MessageBoxButtons.OK, _
MessageBoxIcon.Error)
Else
' Perform the serialization
isf = myInkCollector.Ink.Save _
(PersistenceFormat.InkSerializedFormat)

'append the .ink extension to denote .INK data
inkEdFileName.Text = _
Trim(inkEdFileName.Text) & ".ink"
Filename = inkEdFileName.Text

Dim isConnecting As Boolean = True
While isConnecting
Try
Dim northwindConnection As _
New SqlConnection(connectionString)
Dim strSQL As String = _
"INSERT INTO Picture (Filename, Picture)" & _
"VALUES (@Filename, @Picture)"

myCmd = New SqlCommand(strSQL, _
northwindConnection)

With myCmd
' Add parameters required by SQL
' statement.
'PictureID is an
' identity field so only pass values for
'the two remaining fields.
.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter _
("@Filename", _
SqlDbType.NVarChar, 50)).Value _
= Filename

.Parameters.Add(New SqlParameter_
("@Picture", SqlDbType.Image)).Value _
= isf
End With

' Open the connection, execute the command,
'and close the connection.
northwindConnection.Open()
myCmd.ExecuteNonQuery()
northwindConnection.Close()

' Data has been successfully submitted,
'so break out of the loop
isConnecting = False

MessageBox.Show(Filename & _
" saved to the " & _
"database.", _
"Ink Save Status", MessageBoxButtons.OK, _
MessageBoxIcon.Information)

Catch sqlExc As SqlException
MessageBox.Show(sqlExc.ToString, _
"SQL Exception Error!", _
MessageBoxButtons.OK, _
MessageBoxIcon.Error)
Exit While
Catch exc As Exception
' Unable to connect to SQL Server
MessageBox.Show("Error connecting " & _
"to Database.", _
"Connection Failed!", _
MessageBoxButtons.OK, _
MessageBoxIcon.Error)
End Try
End While
End If
End Sub

Maybe I'm asking too much, I'd really appreciate some help.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Fabio.

"Wayne Niddery [TeamB]" <wnid...@chaffaci.on.ca> wrote in message
news:449c74fd$1...@newsgroups.borland.com...

[Wayne Niddery [TeamB]]

Fabio Reynoso wrote:
>
> Here's an example written in C# which I've tried to recreate in
> Delphi, but I guess I'm missing something because it doesn't work for
> me.
> private void button3_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
> {
> FileStream fs = new FileStream(@"..\myink.gif",FileMode.Create);
> byte[] inkBytes = inkOverlay.Ink.Save(PersistenceFormat.Gif);
> fs.Write(inkBytes, 0, inkBytes.Length);
> fs.Close();
> }

The VB example quoted below this seems to be far more complicated than it
needs to be. I would change it to be more like the C# code above, but save
it to a memory stream instead of a file stream. Then you should be able to
write that stream to the @Picture parameter of the query. It's difficult to
give you exact code at the moment, perhaps someone else can jump in.

--
Wayne Niddery - Winwright, Inc (www.winwright.ca)

"Those who disdain wealth as a worthy goal for an individual or a
society seem not to realize that wealth is the only thing that can
prevent poverty." - Thomas Sowell

[Fabio Reynoso]

Thanks anyway Wayne.

I'm working on figuring out how to translate this code from VB or C# and
make it work.

Thanks you so much.

Regards.

Fabio.

"Wayne Niddery [TeamB]" <wnid...@chaffaci.on.ca> wrote in message

news:449d8b49$1...@newsgroups.borland.com...