C# – Image.Save(..) throws a GDI+ exception because the memory stream is closed

cexceptiongdi+image

i've got some binary data which i want to save as an image. When i try to save the image, it throws an exception if the memory stream used to create the image, was closed before the save. The reason i do this is because i'm dynamically creating images and as such .. i need to use a memory stream.

this is the code:

[TestMethod]
public void TestMethod1()
{
    // Grab the binary data.
    byte[] data = File.ReadAllBytes("Chick.jpg");

    // Read in the data but do not close, before using the stream.
    Stream originalBinaryDataStream = new MemoryStream(data);
    Bitmap image = new Bitmap(originalBinaryDataStream);
    image.Save(@"c:\test.jpg");
    originalBinaryDataStream.Dispose();

    // Now lets use a nice dispose, etc...
    Bitmap2 image2;
    using (Stream originalBinaryDataStream2 = new MemoryStream(data))
    {
        image2 = new Bitmap(originalBinaryDataStream2);
    }

    image2.Save(@"C:\temp\pewpew.jpg"); // This throws the GDI+ exception.
}

Does anyone have any suggestions to how i could save an image with the stream closed? I cannot rely on the developers to remember to close the stream after the image is saved. In fact, the developer would have NO IDEA that the image was generated using a memory stream (because it happens in some other code, elsewhere).

I'm really confused 🙁

Best Answer

As it's a MemoryStream, you really don't need to close the stream - nothing bad will happen if you don't, although obviously it's good practice to dispose anything that's disposable anyway. (See this question for more on this.)

However, you should be disposing the Bitmap - and that will close the stream for you. Basically once you give the Bitmap constructor a stream, it "owns" the stream and you shouldn't close it. As the docs for that constructor say:

You must keep the stream open for the lifetime of the Bitmap.

I can't find any docs promising to close the stream when you dispose the bitmap, but you should be able to verify that fairly easily.

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