Hi
If blob is defined as "sub_type text" and updated with base64 converted string, is OK. This is what I've done and I hadn't any troubles since then. The drawback is that the string needs to be converted back after fetch.

If you want to talk directly with the driver coders, you can reach them at news.atkin.com , newsgoup "firebird_odbc_devel".

Also, there are many API functions in fbclient.dll that deals with BLOBs, I'm sure that a wrapper class can be designed around these functions.

Hope this helps

PS: I have uploaded a Firebird API wrapper class here on UT, maybe you want to try it. But it deals only with a subset of functions (create, backup, restore, repair databases - maintenance in general)



>Hi all,
>
>Here is a double question.
>
>Question one:
>We are making sure that our c/s odbc-based package currently running both MS SQL server 2000 (fast, costly, heavy), ASA Sybase Anywhere (cheap and lean) is running on firebird as well (fast, free and lean as well...). The translation process is running well. Once you get used to the firebird/interbase SQL idiosyncracies, you start enjoying this small beast with a big heart! Nearly recommended. But listen what comes next.
>
>The open-source firebird odbc driver is pretty effective... Except for one thing, we've been unable to upload big binary blobs into the engine. Neither from a SQL(myfirebirdconnection,"upload dossier set picture=?Myfoxpicture") string nor through cursoradapters:(
>
>It looks like the odbc upload connection will not work safely when moving the data (jpeg and or tiff in this case) back into firebird/interbase BLOB info. Our current solution is to use the firebird VARCHAR type. It works ok but it's limited in size (32k). Not big enough for the kind of image we want to store in the engine.
>
>The firebird/interbase engine was the first to offer blobs (vs competition). What a pity that these are useless under VFP odbc.
>
>Any one tackled or solve this one?
>
>Question Two:
>We have encountered the same problem many times with the other engines, at one time or another with Sybase odbc or MS SQL server. We have had bugs for odbc upload of big blob .
>
>The vfp way with odbc is pretty simple as the whole odbc protocol is hidden to the programmer. It looks like the downside to it is that you may bump into bugs with little to no solution.
>
>Is there a way to use lower-level odbc primitives from vfp (through API calls for example) to push a binary string into a SQL engine?
>
>Regards to all of you
>
>François