I have images stored in a SQL Server database with datatype image. I want to retrieve them and convert them to bitmap, and use them to create an asp.net web form image gallery for an online shopping web site.
Should I use <asp:Repeater> control, <asp:GridView> or data list control?
I don't want to use image path stored in the database
It's sad that the experts here are asking you questions as if you already know how to solve your problem which it is clear from your question you don't. Let me try and give you a little background and direction and I think you will be able to get closer to solving what you want to do.
Your images are just blobs in your sqlserver database which has no direct connection the web. The only way you can show images is you need to basically put them into an img tag with src= the location on your web server. What needs to happen is the location on the web server you choose must instead of reading a file from the file system of the server, must somehow grab the image from the database and then stream those image bytes to the img tag on the page.
THere are multiple ways to do that in asp.net. The easiest is a handler or ashx file (don't even know if those are supported anymore).
At anyrate, here is a link that might help. You might try googling something like "display image from sql server on asp.net" and see what else comes out. Obviously, lot's of people do this and you will to soon.
Good Luck.
imagedata type will be removed in a future version of SQL Server. Avoid using that data type in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use it. Usevarbinary(max)instead. See details here