BLOB Full Form Last Updated : 12 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report BLOB stands for Binary Large Object It is defined as the chunk of binary data being stored as a single entity in a database system. BLOBs are used primarily to hold multimedia objects like images, videos, and sound, though they can also be used to store programs. Not all DBMSs support BLOBs. What Is a BLOB?A BLOB (Binary Large Object) refers to a single database unit that is made up of a group’s binary data. Mostly, they are used to save multimedia objects like video, sound, and image files. However, some DBMSs may not accommodate these kinds of blobs. Also, unstructured data including text and binary data can be stored in large volumes through the use of cloud services such as Azure Blob Storage. History Of BLOBJim Starkey, was the inventor of the BLOB, and it first came into existence in the 1970s. Name BLOB came in existence much earlier before the acronym could actually be stated as what it is today i.e. Binary large object. In 1997, Starkey explained that BLOB was used as an acronym because at that time it was unrecognizable (or unprofessional) for the market.There are clouds available that provides a service as BLOB storage, that supports the storage of large amounts of unstructured object data, such as text or binary data. eg- Azure Blob storage.Characteristics of BLOBData type used to store binary data such as images or other multimedia files.They require significantly large storage space in comparison to other data types.Database types decide the amount of data that can be stored by BLOBs.Blob storage is of three types: Block BLOBs: Used for text or binary files, documents and media files.Append BLOBs: Same as Block, but optimized for append operations.Page BLOBs: Storage upto 1TB, and more efficient for I/O operations.AdvantagesBLOBs are good alternative for adding large binary files to DBs.Database backup contains all the data.BLOBs are one of the best cost effective way.Database size reduces, as BLOB storage uses compact DBs.DisadvantagesBLOBs are not universal in terms of Databases(DBs), i.e. not all DBs supports them.BLOBs are inefficient as more disk space and response time is required.BLOB storage doesn't allow the DB monitoring.Added overheads are required in order to secure the BLOB storage used.ConclusionBLOBs are useful for storing large binary data in the databases, mainly while dealing with multimedia files. Although they offer cost-effective storage as well as seamless integration with backups, their areas of weaknesses include minimal support across databases and performance inefficiencies. They are essential for understanding whether and how to use BLOBs for optimum storage solutions. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article Introduction of DBMS (Database Management System) N night_fury1 Follow Improve Article Tags : DBMS Similar Reads DBMS Tutorial – Learn Database Management System Database Management System (DBMS) is a software used to manage data from a database. A database is a structured collection of data that is stored in an electronic device. The data can be text, video, image or any other format.A relational database stores data in the form of tables and a NoSQL databa 7 min read Basic of DBMSIntroduction of DBMS (Database Management System)A Database Management System (DBMS) is a software solution designed to efficiently manage organize and retrieve data in a structured manner. It allows users to create, modify and query databases while ensuring data integrity, security and efficient data access. Unlike traditional file systems, DBMS 6 min read History of DBMSThe first database management systems (DBMS) were created to handle complex data for businesses in the 1960s. These systems included Charles Bachman's Integrated Data Store (IDS) and IBM's Information Management System (IMS). Databases were first organized into tree-like structures using hierarchica 7 min read DBMS Architecture 1-level, 2-Level, 3-LevelA DBMS architecture defines how users interact with the database to read, write, or update information. 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In which an abstraction mechanism is used to h 4 min read Introduction of Relational Model and Codd Rules in DBMSThe Relational Model is a fundamental concept in Database Management Systems (DBMS) that organizes data into tables, also known as relations. This model simplifies data storage, retrieval, and management by using rows and columns. Codd’s Rules, introduced by Dr. Edgar F. Codd, define the principles 14 min read Keys in Relational ModelIn the context of a relational database, keys are one of the basic requirements of a relational database model. Keys are fundamental components that ensure data integrity, uniqueness and efficient access. It is widely used to identify the tuples(rows) uniquely in the table. We also use keys to set u 6 min read Mapping from ER Model to Relational ModelConverting an Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram to a Relational Model is a crucial step in database design. 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Relational algebr 9 min read SQL Joins (Inner, Left, Right and Full Join)SQL joins are fundamental tools for combining data from multiple tables in relational databases. For example, consider two tables where one table (say Student) has student information with id as a key and other table (say Marks) has information about marks of every student id. Now to display the mar 4 min read Join operation Vs Nested query in DBMSThe concept of joins and nested queries emerged to facilitate the retrieval and management of data stored in multiple, often interrelated tables within a relational database. As databases are normalized to reduce redundancy, the meaningful information extracted often requires combining data from dif 3 min read Tuple Relational Calculus (TRC) in DBMSTuple Relational Calculus (TRC) is a non-procedural query language used to retrieve data from relational databases by describing the properties of the required data (not how to fetch it). It is based on first-order predicate logic and uses tuple variables to represent rows of tables.Syntax: The basi 4 min read Domain Relational Calculus in DBMSDomain Relational Calculus (DRC) is a formal query language for relational databases. It describes queries by specifying a set of conditions or formulas that the data must satisfy. These conditions are written using domain variables and predicates, and it returns a relation that satisfies the specif 4 min read Relational AlgebraIntroduction of Relational Algebra in DBMSRelational Algebra is a formal language used to query and manipulate relational databases, consisting of a set of operations like selection, projection, union, and join. It provides a mathematical framework for querying databases, ensuring efficient data retrieval and manipulation. Relational algebr 9 min read SQL Joins (Inner, Left, Right and Full Join)SQL joins are fundamental tools for combining data from multiple tables in relational databases. For example, consider two tables where one table (say Student) has student information with id as a key and other table (say Marks) has information about marks of every student id. Now to display the mar 4 min read Join operation Vs Nested query in DBMSThe concept of joins and nested queries emerged to facilitate the retrieval and management of data stored in multiple, often interrelated tables within a relational database. As databases are normalized to reduce redundancy, the meaningful information extracted often requires combining data from dif 3 min read Tuple Relational Calculus (TRC) in DBMSTuple Relational Calculus (TRC) is a non-procedural query language used to retrieve data from relational databases by describing the properties of the required data (not how to fetch it). It is based on first-order predicate logic and uses tuple variables to represent rows of tables.Syntax: The basi 4 min read Domain Relational Calculus in DBMSDomain Relational Calculus (DRC) is a formal query language for relational databases. It describes queries by specifying a set of conditions or formulas that the data must satisfy. These conditions are written using domain variables and predicates, and it returns a relation that satisfies the specif 4 min read Functional Dependencies & NormalizationAttribute Closure in DBMSFunctional dependency and attribute closure are essential for maintaining data integrity and building effective, organized and normalized databases. Attribute closure of an attribute set can be defined as set of attributes which can be functionally determined from it.How to find attribute closure of 4 min read Armstrong's Axioms in Functional Dependency in DBMSArmstrong's Axioms refer to a set of inference rules, introduced by William W. 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Whether you're preparing for your first job in database management or advancing in your career, being well-prepared for a DBMS 15+ min read Commonly asked DBMS Interview Questions | Set 2This article is an extension of Commonly asked DBMS interview questions | Set 1.Q1. There is a table where only one row is fully repeated. Write a Query to find the Repeated rowNameSectionabcCS1bcdCS2abcCS1In the above table, we can find duplicate rows using the below query.SELECT name, section FROM 5 min read Like