Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!voder!blia!miket
From: miket@blia.BLI.COM (Mike Tossy)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Relational Database, with a Graphical type field
Keywords: Database to store/handle Graphics
Message-ID: <11959@blia.BLI.COM>
Date: 28 Jun 90 21:44:18 GMT
References: <1176@abcom.ATT.COM> <897@dgis.dtic.dla.mil> <1186@abcom.ATT.COM>
Organization: Britton Lee, Los Gatos, CA
Lines: 28

>
> I am trying to write a relational database
> that can be used to store graphical images
> ...file name as string, reference to graphical file
> 

The ShareBase II product line includes the ability to store UNIX like
- byte array - files on the relational database server.  File operations
are governed by the same transaction management system as the relational
database, therefore code like this:

  set autocommit off
  select blah, blah ....
  file operation ...
  set autocommit on

does indeed result in the dbms and file operations being atomic.  (The name
of the file holding the drawing becomes a column in the table.)

This technique has been used for storing both digitized photographs and
CAD/CAM drawings in files and data about those drawings in tables. 


  Mike Tossy                                      ShareBase Coropration
  miket@blia.bli.com                              14600 Wichester Blvd
  (408) 378-7575 ext2200                          Los Gatos, CA 95030
					  (Formerly: Britton Lee, Inc.)