As far as SQL goes, as long as the data you provide to the INSERT call fits in the target columns, it will go in the table as planned. "Raw" fields, or BINARY, or BLOB or whatever you happen to call them, are just the same as your regular run-of-the-mill strings -- You still have to "escape" the content.

      # $blob_a_data is a GIF, or other binary data

      $db->do("INSERT INTO blob_table (blob_a)
               VALUES (?)", {}, $blob_a_data);

      # Later on...

      my ($blob_a_fromdb) = 
        $db->selectrow_array("SELECT blob_a
                              FROM blob_table");

      # $blob_a_fromdb and $blob_a_data should be the same.
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Or you can use $db->quote($blob_a_value) to force the proper conversion. DBI should "decode" any of the inserted data back into its original format for you when you use any of the fetch() or select()-type functions. Calls such as the $db->do() above do automatic quotation of your data for '?' identified parameters. Experiment with $db->quote() to see how it behaves, as it escapes any potentially dangerous characters such as '\n', or " ' ".

It sounds too good to be true, but it isn't.