Converting varbinary to float array

[Cathy]

In SQL Server 2005, I have a varbinary(4000) column which contains a
60 element float array. Using SQL (or similar) how can I extract the
contents of the varbinary and print out the data as 60 floats? Each
float has a precision of 9 decimal places.

Many thanks,

cathy

[Rahul]

Post by Cathy
In SQL Server 2005, I have a varbinary(4000) column which contains a
60 element float array. Using SQL (or similar) how can I extract the
contents of the varbinary and print out the data as 60 floats? Each
float has a precision of 9 decimal places.
Many thanks,
cathy

Hi,
Please send the DDL and sample data.

Rahul

[Rahul]

Post by Cathy
In SQL Server 2005, I have a varbinary(4000) column which contains a
60 element float array. Using SQL (or similar) how can I extract the
contents of the varbinary and print out the data as 60 floats? Each
float has a precision of 9 decimal places.
Many thanks,
cathy

Hi,
Please send the DDL and sample data.

Rahul

[Cathy]

Sorry, short of sending you a database backup, I can't do that

Cathy

[Gert-Jan Strik]

Cathy,

You would need a better specification of the data format. That is why
Rahul asked for DDL and sample data. You could use SUBSTRING to extract
individual floats, CAST them to float and do with them as you please.
Depending on the data format, you have to create a cursor or loop, or
you might be able to use a set based approach using a numbers table.
--
Gert-Jan
SQL Server MVP

Post by Cathy
In SQL Server 2005, I have a varbinary(4000) column which contains a
60 element float array. Using SQL (or similar) how can I extract the
contents of the varbinary and print out the data as 60 floats? Each
float has a precision of 9 decimal places.
Many thanks,
cathy

[Erland Sommarskog]

Post by Cathy
In SQL Server 2005, I have a varbinary(4000) column which contains a
60 element float array. Using SQL (or similar) how can I extract the
contents of the varbinary and print out the data as 60 floats? Each
float has a precision of 9 decimal places.

First you need a Numbers table:
http://www.sommarskog.se/arrays-in-sql-2005.html#tblnum

Then look at the fixed-length method in the same article:
http://www.sommarskog.se/arrays-in-sql-2005.html#fixed-length

And finally:
http://www.sommarskog.se/arrays-in-sql-2005.html#tablelists

This should get you going.

[t***@gmail.com]

Post by Cathy
In SQL Server 2005, I have a varbinary(4000) column which contains a
60 element float array. Using SQL (or similar) how can I extract the
contents of the varbinary and print out the data as 60 floats? Each
float has a precision of 9 decimal places.
Many thanks,
cathy

Though the topic is 4 years old, just in case anyone stumbles upon it. Here's the solution for converting varbinary value to float in T-SQL. It can be applied to arrays also with some modifications.
http://multikoder.blogspot.com/2013/03/converting-varbinary-to-float-in-t-sql.html