Dealing with Binary Data

Use the AppendChunk method on a Field object to fill it with long binary or character data. In situations where system memory is limited, you can use the AppendChunk method to manipulate long values in portions rather than in their entirety.

If the adFldLong bit in the Attributes property of a Field object is set to True, you can use the AppendChunk method for that field.

The first AppendChunk call on a Field object writes data to the field, overwriting any existing data. Subsequent AppendChunk calls add to existing data. If you are appending data to one field and then you set or read the value of another field in the current record, ADO assumes that you are finished appending data to the first field. If you call the AppendChunk method on the first field again, ADO interprets the call as a new AppendChunk operation and overwrites the existing data. Accessing fields in other Recordset objects that are not clones of the first Recordset object will not disrupt AppendChunk operations.

Use the GetChunk method on a Field object to retrieve part or all of its long binary or character data. In situations where system memory is limited, you can use the GetChunk method to manipulate long values in portions, rather than in their entirety.

The data that a GetChunk call returns is assigned to variable. If Size is greater than the remaining data, the GetChunk method returns only the remaining data without padding variable with empty spaces. If the field is empty, the GetChunk method returns a null value.

Each subsequent GetChunk call retrieves data starting from where the previous GetChunk call left off. However, if you are retrieving data from one field and then set or read the value of another field in the current record, ADO assumes you have finished retrieving data from the first field. If you call the GetChunk method on the first field again, ADO interprets the call as a new GetChunk operation and starts reading from the beginning of the data. Accessing fields in other Recordset objects that are not clones of the first Recordset object will not disrupt GetChunk operations.

If the adFldLong bit in the Attributes property of a Field object is set to True, you can use the GetChunk method for that field.

If there is no current record when you use the GetChunk or AppendChunk method on a Field object, error 3021 (no current record) occurs.

For an example of using these methods to manipulate binary data, see the AppendChunk Method and GetChunk Method examples in the ADO Programmer's Reference.