ASP.Net MVC: How to display a byte array image from model

Question

Something like this may work...

@{
    var base64 = Convert.ToBase64String(Model.ByteArray);
    var imgSrc = String.Format("data:image/gif;base64,{0}", base64);
}

<img src="@imgSrc" />

As mentioned in the comments below, please use the above armed with the knowledge that although this may answer your question it may not solve your problem. Depending on your problem this may be the solution but I wouldn't completely rule out accessing the database twice.

This worked for me

<img src="data:image;base64,@System.Convert.ToBase64String(Model.CategoryPicture.Content)" width="80" height="80"/>     

I recommend something along these lines, even if the image lives inside of your model.

I realize you are asking for a direct way to access it right from the view and many others have answered that and told you what is wrong with that approach so this is just another way that will load the image in an async fashion for you and I think is a better approach.

Sample Model:

[Bind(Exclude = "ID")]
public class Item
{
    [Key]
    [ScaffoldColumn(false)]
    public int ID { get; set; }

    public String Name { get; set; }

    public byte[] InternalImage { get; set; } //Stored as byte array in the database.
}

Sample Method in the Controller:

public async Task<ActionResult> RenderImage(int id)
{
    Item item = await db.Items.FindAsync(id);

    byte[] photoBack = item.InternalImage;

    return File(photoBack, "image/png");
}

View

@model YourNameSpace.Models.Item

@{
    ViewBag.Title = "Details";
}

<h2>Details</h2>

<div>
<h4>Item</h4>
<hr />
<dl class="dl-horizontal">
    <img src="@Url.Action("RenderImage", new { id = Model.ID})" />
</dl>
<dl class="dl-horizontal">
    <dt>
        @Html.DisplayNameFor(model => model.Name)
    </dt>

    <dd>
        @Html.DisplayFor(model => model.Name)
    </dd>
</dl>
</div>

One way is to add this to a new c# class or HtmlExtensions class

public static class HtmlExtensions
{
    public static MvcHtmlString Image(this HtmlHelper html, byte[] image)
    {
        var img = String.Format("data:image/jpg;base64,{0}", Convert.ToBase64String(image));
        return new MvcHtmlString("<img src='" + img + "' />");
    }
}

then you can do this in any view

@Html.Image(Model.ImgBytes)

If you can base-64 encode your bytes, you could try using the result as your image source. In your model you might add something like:

public string ImageSource
{
    get
    {
        string mimeType = /* Get mime type somehow (e.g. "image/png") */;
        string base64 = Convert.ToBase64String(yourImageBytes);
        return string.Format("data:{0};base64,{1}", mimeType, base64);
    }
}

And in your view:

<img ... src="@Model.ImageSource" />

If the image isn't that big, and if there's a good chance you'll be re-using the image often, and if you don't have too many of them, and if the images are not secret (meaning it's no big deal if one user could potentially see another person's image)...

Lots of "if"s here, so there's a good chance this is a bad idea:

You can store the image bytes in Cache for a short time, and make an image tag pointed toward an action method, which in turn reads from the cache and spits out your image. This will allow the browser to cache the image appropriately.

// In your original controller action
HttpContext.Cache.Add("image-" + model.Id, model.ImageBytes, null,
    Cache.NoAbsoluteExpiration, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1),
    CacheItemPriority.Normal, null);

// In your view:
<img src="@Url.Action("GetImage", "MyControllerName", new{fooId = Model.Id})">

// In your controller:
[OutputCache(VaryByParam = "fooId", Duration = 60)]
public ActionResult GetImage(int fooId) {
    // Make sure you check for null as appropriate, re-pull from DB, etc.
    return File((byte[])HttpContext.Cache["image-" + fooId], "image/gif");
}

This has the added benefit (or is it a crutch?) of working in older browsers, where the inline images don't work in IE7 (or IE8 if larger than 32kB).