title: Sending Image to the MySQL database with Android
body: <p>I have the current application which sends and retrieves data from a MySQL database but the information so far I was transferring was String. How can I update the code below to be able to send images too.</p>
  
  <pre><code>public class NewProductActivity extends Activity {
  
  // Progress Dialog
  private ProgressDialog pDialog;
  
  JSONParser jsonParser = new JSONParser();
  EditText inputName;
  EditText inputPrice;
  EditText inputDesc;
  EditText inputImg;
  Button btnTakePhoto;
  ImageView imgTakenPhoto;
  private static final int CAM_REQUREST = 1313;
  // url to create new product
  private static String url_create_product = "http://buiud.com/android_connect/create_product.php";
  
  // JSON Node names
  private static final String TAG_SUCCESS = "success";
  
  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
      super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
      setContentView(R.layout.add_product);
  
      // Edit Text
      inputName = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.inputName);
      inputPrice = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.inputPrice);
      inputDesc = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.inputDesc);
      inputImg = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.imageView1);
      // Create button
      Button btnCreateProduct = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnCreateProduct);
  
      // button click event
      btnCreateProduct.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
  
          @Override
          public void onClick(View view) {
              // creating new product in background thread
              new CreateNewProduct().execute();
          }
      });
      btnTakePhoto = (Button) findViewById(R.id.button1);
      imgTakenPhoto = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.imageView1);
  
      btnTakePhoto.setOnClickListener(new btnTakePhotoClicker());
  
  }
  @Override
  protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
      // TODO Auto-generated method stub
      super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data);
  
        if (requestCode == CAM_REQUREST) {
            Bitmap thumbnail = (Bitmap) data.getExtras().get("data");
            imgTakenPhoto.setImageBitmap(thumbnail);
        }
  }
  
  class btnTakePhotoClicker implements Button.OnClickListener
  {
      @Override
      public void onClick(View v) {
          // TODO Auto-generated method stub
  
          Intent cameraIntent = new Intent(android.provider.MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);
          startActivityForResult(cameraIntent, CAM_REQUREST);
      }
  }
  /**
   * Background Async Task to Create new product
   * */
  class CreateNewProduct extends AsyncTask&lt;String, String, String&gt; {
  
      /**
       * Before starting background thread Show Progress Dialog
       * */
      @Override
      protected void onPreExecute() {
          super.onPreExecute();
          pDialog = new ProgressDialog(NewProductActivity.this);
          pDialog.setMessage("Creating Product..");
          pDialog.setIndeterminate(false);
          pDialog.setCancelable(true);
          pDialog.show();
      }
  
      /**
       * Creating product
       * */
      protected String doInBackground(String... args) {
          String name = inputName.getText().toString();
          String price = inputPrice.getText().toString();
          String description = inputDesc.getText().toString();
          String image = inputImg.getText().toString();
  
          // Building Parameters
          List&lt;NameValuePair&gt; params = new ArrayList&lt;NameValuePair&gt;();
          params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("name", name));
          params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("price", price));
          params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("description", description));
          params.add(new BasicNameValuePair("image", image));
  
          // getting JSON Object
          // Note that create product url accepts POST method
          JSONObject json = jsonParser.makeHttpRequest(url_create_product,
                  "POST", params);
  
          // check log cat fro response
          Log.d("Create Response", json.toString());
  
          // check for success tag
          try {
              int success = json.getInt(TAG_SUCCESS);
  
              if (success == 1) {
                  // successfully created product
                  Intent i = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), AllProductsActivity.class);
                  startActivity(i);
  
                  // closing this screen
                  finish();
              } else {
                  // failed to create product
              }
          } catch (JSONException e) {
              e.printStackTrace();
          }
  
          return null;
      }
  
      /**
       * After completing background task Dismiss the progress dialog
       * **/
      protected void onPostExecute(String file_url) {
          // dismiss the dialog once done
          pDialog.dismiss();
      }
  
  }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Note: I have added the image field as I did other String fields, but the application now stops, it can't convert the picture as Text obviously. Let me know what you think, or any sort of casting available. I just take a photo and that photo is to be sent to MySQL.</p>