What is the best way to store a pdf file in Database?

Question

I want to save pdf file in database. I am searching what is the best way to save for pdf file in database. I am confusing among varbinary(max) and image. What should i use?

Manish Kumar · Answer

Check FileStream in Sql server for storing BLOB data. You need to create a new file group(.ndf file)

Ramesh Singh · Answer

If you store pdf file into database then database size will increase. it reduse performance of application and Database. So store pdf file into physical location and store physical path into database table to reduce cost of performance and db maintenance.

Rajkiran Swain · Answer

My opinion is that you do not really want to store the PDF in a DB. At the risk of arguing semantics you probably want to store either the contents of the PDF or the physical location of the PDF. Which one you choose to store depends on what you are going to do with the PDF. If you are simply going to echo the PDf back to someone when requested you are better off storing the physical location in a normal varchar field and storing the PDF in a file system.