What are the advantages and disadvantages of storing images as BLOB data in a MySQL database for a PHP application?

Storing images as BLOB data in a MySQL database for a PHP application can simplify data management by keeping all data in one place. However, it can lead to slower performance and larger database sizes, as well as potential issues with scalability and backup processes. 

<?php
// Connect to MySQL database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Insert image as BLOB data
$image = file_get_contents("image.jpg");
$sql = "INSERT INTO images (image_data) VALUES (?)";
$stmt = $conn->prepare($sql);
$stmt->bind_param("b", $image);
$stmt->execute();

// Retrieve image from database
$sql = "SELECT image_data FROM images WHERE id = 1";
$result = $conn->query($sql);
$row = $result->fetch_assoc();
$image_data = $row['image_data'];

// Display image
echo '<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,' . base64_encode($image_data) . '">';
?>

Keywords

BLOB data MySQL database PHP application advantages disadvantages

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