[mysql] How to insert a file in MySQL database?

I want to insert a file in MYSQL database residing on a remote webserver using a webservice.

My question is: What type of table column (e.g. varchar, etc.) will store a file? And will the insert statement be somewhat different in case of a file?

The other answers will give you a good idea how to accomplish what you have asked for....

However

There are not many cases where this is a good idea. It is usually better to store only the filename in the database and the file on the file system.

That way your database is much smaller, can be transported around easier and more importantly is quicker to backup / restore.

File size by MySQL type:

• TINYBLOB 255 bytes = 0.000255 Mb
• BLOB 65535 bytes = 0.0655 Mb
• MEDIUMBLOB 16777215 bytes = 16.78 Mb
• LONGBLOB 4294967295 bytes = 4294.97 Mb = 4.295 Gb

You need to use BLOB, there's TINY, MEDIUM, LONG, and just BLOB, as with other types, choose one according to your size needs.

TINYBLOB 255
BLOB 65535
MEDIUMBLOB 16777215
LONGBLOB 4294967295
(in bytes)

The insert statement would be fairly normal. You need to read the file using fread and then addslashes to it.