---
title: "Retrieving Data as a Stream Using the SQLSRV Driver | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "01/19/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: connectivity
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: connectivity
ms.topic: conceptual
ms.assetid: 17dc9129-04cd-430c-b5b3-82824116425d
author: David-Engel
ms.author: v-daenge
---
# Retrieving Data as a Stream Using the SQLSRV Driver
[!INCLUDE[Driver_PHP_Download](../../includes/driver_php_download.md)]

Retrieving data as a stream is only available in the SQLSRV driver of the [!INCLUDE[ssDriverPHP](../../includes/ssdriverphp_md.md)], and is not available in the PDO_SQLSRV driver.  
  
The [!INCLUDE[ssDriverPHP](../../includes/ssdriverphp_md.md)] takes advantage of streams for retrieving large amounts of data. The topics in this section provide details about how to retrieve data as a stream.  
  
The following steps summarize how to retrieve data as a stream:  
  
1.  Prepare and execute a Transact-SQL query with [sqlsrv_query](../../connect/php/sqlsrv-query.md) or the combination of [sqlsrv_prepare](../../connect/php/sqlsrv-prepare.md)/[sqlsrv_execute](../../connect/php/sqlsrv-execute.md).  
  
2.  Use [sqlsrv_fetch](../../connect/php/sqlsrv-fetch.md) to move to the next row in the result set.  
  
3.  Use [sqlsrv_get_field](../../connect/php/sqlsrv-get-field.md) to retrieve a field from the row. Specify that the data is to be retrieved as a stream by using **SQLSRV_PHPTYPE_STREAM(<encoding>)** as the third parameter in the function call. This table lists the constants used to specify encodings and their descriptions:  
  
    |SQLSRV Constant|Description|  
    |-------------------|---------------|  
    |SQLSRV_ENC_BINARY|Data is returned as a raw byte stream from the server without performing encoding or translation.|  
    |SQLSRV_ENC_CHAR|Data is returned in 8-bit characters as specified in the code page of the Windows locale set on the system. Any multi-byte characters or characters that do not map into this code page are substituted with a single byte question mark (?) character.|  
  
> [!NOTE]  
> Some data types are returned as streams by default. For more information, see [Default PHP Data Types](../../connect/php/default-php-data-types.md).  
  
## In This Section  
  
|Topic|Description|  
|---------|---------------|  
|[Data Types with Stream Support Using the SQLSRV Driver](../../connect/php/data-types-with-stream-support-using-the-sqlsrv-driver.md)|Lists the SQL Server data types that can be retrieved as streams.|  
|[How to: Retrieve Character Data as a Stream Using the SQLSRV Driver](../../connect/php/how-to-retrieve-character-data-as-a-stream-using-the-sqlsrv-driver.md)|Demonstrates how to retrieve character data as a stream.|  
|[How to: Retrieve Binary Data as a Stream Using the SQLSRV Driver](../../connect/php/how-to-retrieve-binary-data-as-a-stream-using-the-sqlsrv-driver.md)|Demonstrates how to retrieve binary data as a stream.|  
  
## See Also  
[Retrieving Data](../../connect/php/retrieving-data.md)

[Constants &#40;Microsoft Drivers for PHP for SQL Server&#41;](../../connect/php/constants-microsoft-drivers-for-php-for-sql-server.md)