Save a .lyr file in a database using ArcObjects

Summary

Note:
This article pertains to ArcGIS versions 8.x and 9.x. Later versions of ArcGIS may contain different functionality, as well as different names and locations for menus, commands and geoprocessing tools.

This sample code shows how to save a .lyr file as a blob in a database. Any object that supports persistence can be saved in this manner.

Note: 
Support for Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) for ArcMap and ArcCatalog ended with the ArcGIS 10.2.2 release, and Esri has not included VBA compatibility setups since version 10.5. See: ArcGIS Desktop and VBA Moving Forward

Procedure

1. Create an access database and name it BLOB.
2. Create a new table in BLOB.mdb called Layers and add a blob field called Layers.
3. Open ArcMap and add the layer file to the map.
4. Create a new UIButtonControl: How To: Create a new UIButtonControl​

Note:
For more information on creating a UIControl, see the ArcGIS Desktop Help topic: 'Creating custom commands with VBA and UI Controls'

5. Right-click the UIButtonControl and select View Source.
6. Copy the following code into the UIButtonControl's Click event:

  ' Get the IPersistStream for the 1st Layer from the map
  Dim pMxDoc As IMxDocument
  Set pMxDoc = ThisDocument
  
  Dim pPersist As IPersistStream
  Set pPersist = pMxDoc.FocusMap.Layer(0)
  
  ' Now persist the layer to the memory blob stream
  Dim pMemoryStream As IMemoryBlobStream
  Set pMemoryStream = New MemoryBlobStream
  
  pPersist.Save pMemoryStream, False
  
  ' Finally save the blob into the database
  Dim pWorkspaceFactory As IWorkspaceFactory
  Set pWorkspaceFactory = New AccessWorkspaceFactory
  
  Dim pFeatureWorkspace As IFeatureWorkspace
  Set pFeatureWorkspace =
pWorkspaceFactory.OpenFromFile("C:\Source\BLOB.mdb", 0)

Dim pTable As ITable
  Set pTable = pFeatureWorkspace.OpenTable("Layers")
  
  Dim pRow As IRow
  Set pRow = pTable.CreateRow
  
  pRow.Value(pRow.Fields.FindField("Layers")) = pMemoryStream
  pRow.Store

7. To add the saved .lyr file to the map add another button to ArcMap following step 4 above and add the code below to its click event:

  ' Finally save the blob into the database
  Dim pWorkspaceFactory As IWorkspaceFactory
  Set pWorkspaceFactory = New AccessWorkspaceFactory
  
  Dim pFeatureWorkspace As IFeatureWorkspace
  Set pFeatureWorkspace =
pWorkspaceFactory.OpenFromFile("C:\Source\BLOB.mdb", 0)
  
  Dim pTable As ITable
  Set pTable = pFeatureWorkspace.OpenTable("Layers")

  Dim pCursor As ICursor
  Set pCursor = pTable.Search(Nothing, False)
  
  Dim pRow As IRow
  Set pRow = pCursor.NextRow
  
  If (pRow Is Nothing) Then Exit Sub
  
  Dim pMemoryStream As IMemoryBlobStream
  Set pMemoryStream = pRow.Value(pRow.Fields.FindField("Layers"))
  
  Dim pLayer As ILayer
  Set pLayer = New FeatureLayer
  
  Dim pPersist As IPersistStream
  Set pPersist = pLayer
  
  pPersist.Load pMemoryStream
  
  Dim pMxDoc As IMxDocument
  Set pMxDoc = ThisDocument
  
  pMxDoc.FocusMap.AddLayer pLayer