Since everyone is going more into the Cloud, where data is stored MS Azure databases.
There is a bigger need to have the right tools to get control over it.
I had a need to view BLOB data stored in an MS Azure database.
I could find directly what I needed; so I created my own tools.
1. AutoIT Application to convert binary to a binary string to upload in the MS SQL BLOB Tables
2. PowerShell Application to extract the BLOB data from the MS SQL database and visualize the content.
SOLUTION :
1. Create a BLOB Database table
First I had to make sure I could load the database with the BLOB data.
So I created a TEST database and Table that hold a BLOB field
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Test](
[ID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL,
[Name] [nvarchar](100) NULL,
[BLOB] [varbinary](max) NULL
) ON [PRIMARY] TEXTIMAGE_ON [PRIMARY]
GO
ALTER TABLE [dbo].[Test] ADD PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED
(
[ID] ASC
)WITH (STATISTICS_NORECOMPUTE = OFF, IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ONLINE = OFF) ON [PRIMARY]
GO
The TEST table contains 3 fields : ID, Name and BLOB
2. Create a Binary String
Using AutoIT it is a piece of cake to create simple app that creates a binary string from any binary.
Whether it is an executable or a graphic or a word or excel file…
#include <FileConstants.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
; Create a constant variable in Local scope of the message to display in FileOpenDialog.
Local Const $sMessage = "Select a single file of any type."
; Display an open dialog to select a file.
Local $sFileOpenDialog = FileOpenDialog($sMessage, "C\", "All (*.*)", $FD_FILEMUSTEXIST)
If @error Then
; Display the error message.
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "", "No file was selected.")
; Change the working directory (@WorkingDir) back to the location of the script directory as FileOpenDialog sets it to the last accessed folder.
FileChangeDir(@ScriptDir)
Else
; Change the working directory (@WorkingDir) back to the location of the script directory as FileOpenDialog sets it to the last accessed folder.
FileChangeDir(@ScriptDir)
; Replace instances of "|" with @CRLF in the string returned by FileOpenDialog.
$sFileOpenDialog = StringReplace($sFileOpenDialog, "|", @CRLF)
; Display the selected file.
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "", "You chose the following file:" & @CRLF & $sFileOpenDialog)
EndIf
Global $hFile = FileOpen($sFileOpenDialog, 16)
If @error Then Exit
Global $bBinary = FileRead($hFile)
FileClose($hFile)
Global Const $MAX_LINESIZE = 4095 ; Max Line Size
Global $iNewLine, $j
Global $iChinkSize = 2000000 ; Max String Length
Global $sBinary
For $i = 1 To BinaryLen($bBinary) Step $iChinkSize
$j += 1
If 4*($j * $iChinkSize) > $MAX_LINESIZE - 129 Then
$iNewLine = 1
EndIf
If $iNewLine Then
$iNewLine = 0
$j = 0
;~ $sBinary = StringTrimRight($sBinary, 5)
$sBinary &= BinaryMid($bBinary, $i, $iChinkSize) & @CRLF & @CRLF
ContinueLoop
EndIf
If $i = 1 Then
$sBinary &= '$bBinary = "' & BinaryMid($bBinary, $i, $iChinkSize) & '" & _' & @CRLF
Else
$sBinary &= ' "' & StringTrimLeft(BinaryMid($bBinary, $i, $iChinkSize), 2) & '" & _' & @CRLF
EndIf
Next
$sBinary = StringTrimRight($sBinary, 4)
ClipPut($sBinary)
ConsoleWrite("Binary String From " & $sFileOpenDialog & @CRLF & @CRLF & $sBinary & @CRLF & @CRLF & "Added to Clipboard !! " & @CRLF & @CRLF )
With a few lines of code you can get it in you clipboard or Notepad.
Next connect to your Azure database where the TEST table is residing.
And copy and paste the Binary String in the BLOBL field
3. PowerShell BLOB Viewer
So now that we have all BLOB Data in the Azure DB.
I need a tool to visualize it and potentially download it again as file.
I found a good starting point here.
Which I converted in an ONLINE BLOB Viewer without writing BLOB data to a local file.
All is handled “in memory” which is lightning fast 
I input the query to visualize the BLOB data I get it in a GUI for displaying.
And I can download it as a local file again 
The script logic connects to the MS Azure Database using a main GUI.
And selects the record with the BLOB field and passes the output to the VIEWER GUI.
$w_form = 400 # form width
$h_form = 250 # form height
$b = [int]$img.Size.Width
$h = [int]$img.Size.Height
$b_thumb = $b
$h_thumb = $h
# portrait picture higher than 500px or landscape picture wider than 700px?
if ( ($b -gt $h) -and ($b -gt 700) ) {
$b_thumb = 700
$h_thumb = [int](700 * $h / $b)
$imgthumb = $img.GetThumbnailImage($b_thumb, $h_thumb, $null, 0) # create bitmap with 700px width
}
elseif ( ($b -le $h) -and ($h -gt 500) ) {
$b_thumb = [int](500 * $b / $h)
$h_thumb = 500
$imgthumb = $img.GetThumbnailImage($b_thumb, $h_thumb, $null, 0) # create bitmap with 500px heigth
}
else {
$imgthumb=$img
}
$form1 = New-Object Windows.Forms.Form
$form1.Text = "Picture"
$form1.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size($w_form,$h_form) # minimal size
$form1.StartPosition = "CenterScreen"
$form1.AutoSize = $True
$form1.AutoSizeMode = "GrowOnly" # or "GrowAndShrink"
$form1.Topmost = $true
$form1.BringToFront()
$font_normal = New-Object System.Drawing.Font("Tahoma",13,[Drawing.FontStyle]::Regular)
$font_bold = New-Object System.Drawing.Font("Tahoma",16,[Drawing.FontStyle]::Bold)
$PictureBox = New-Object Windows.Forms.PictureBox
$PictureBox.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(5,35)
$PictureBox.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size($b_thumb, $h_thumb)
$PictureBox.Image = $imgthumb;
$form1.Controls.Add($PictureBox)
$LabelDescription = New-Object Windows.Forms.Label
$LabelDescription.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point(5,5)
#$LabelDescription.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(375,25)
$LabelDescription.Font = $font_bold;
$LabelDescription.Text = "original size: $b x $h, display size: $b_thumb x $h_thumb"
$LabelDescription.AutoSize = $True
$form1.Controls.Add($LabelDescription)
$OKButton = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.Button
$OKButton.Size = New-Object System.Drawing.Size(75,45)
# OKButton centered under the picture
$OKButton.Location = New-Object System.Drawing.Point( (($form1.Size.Width - $OKButton.Size.Width) / 2),(50+$h_thumb) )
$OKButton.Text = "OK"
$OKButton.Font = $font_bold
$OKButton.DialogResult = [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::OK
$form1.Controls.Add($OKButton)
$form1.AcceptButton = $OKButton
$form1.ShowDialog()
# Closing & disposing all objects
$form1.Dispose()
The full PowerShell code is extensive to post here.
Enjoy!
Posted by audministrator 
we create our own tools !
