rails mysql BLOB type - to_xml returns binary, would like to force to string
I am running RoR, Ruby 1.8.6/Rails 2.3.2.

I am persisting a String within a model object to MySQL to a Blob field.  For a number of reasons, I have to use MySQL Blob data type instead of a Text data type, yet I want Rails to treat the field as a regular String (instead of a binary String - which is what I think it is doing?).

How can I force this?  Everything works well in the display of the pages, the main issue is XML that is being produced.

A specific example is a "description" field of type Blob in MySQL displays perfectly in the HTML ERB, but when using the to_xml method on that model object the resulting XML is:

`<description type="binary" encoding="base64">
VGhpcyB0d28tc2NyZWVuIGZvcm0gYWxsb3dzIGJ1c2luZXNzIGN1c3RvbWVy
cyB0byByYXRlIHRoZWlyIGxldmVsIG9mIHNhdGlzZmFjdGlvbiBhbmQgcmVx
dWVzdCB0byBzcGVhayB3aXRoIG1hbmFnZW1lbnQuIEl0IGlzIGVzcGVjaWFs
bHkgZGVzaWduZWQgZm9yIHRoZSBDb21taXNzaW9uIG9uIFZvY2F0aW9uYWwg
UmVoYWJpbGl0YXRpb24u
</description>`

I just want it to appear be formatted as a normal string field like:

`<description>test description</description>`

What are the best ways to force this?  I've been searching and reading through docs, but haven't been finding any helpful suggestions.

I appreciate any and all help,
thank you
rails mysql BLOB type - to_xml returns binary, would like to force to string
===

I am running RoR, Ruby 1.8.6/Rails 2.3.2.

I am persisting a String within a model object to MySQL to a Blob field.  For a number of reasons, I have to use MySQL Blob data type instead of a Text data type, yet I want Rails to treat the field as a regular String (instead of a binary String - which is what I think it is doing?).

How can I force this?  Everything works well in the display of the pages, the main issue is XML that is being produced.

A specific example is a "description" field of type Blob in MySQL displays perfectly in the HTML ERB, but when using the to_xml method on that model object the resulting XML is:

`<description type="binary" encoding="base64">
VGhpcyB0d28tc2NyZWVuIGZvcm0gYWxsb3dzIGJ1c2luZXNzIGN1c3RvbWVy
cyB0byByYXRlIHRoZWlyIGxldmVsIG9mIHNhdGlzZmFjdGlvbiBhbmQgcmVx
dWVzdCB0byBzcGVhayB3aXRoIG1hbmFnZW1lbnQuIEl0IGlzIGVzcGVjaWFs
bHkgZGVzaWduZWQgZm9yIHRoZSBDb21taXNzaW9uIG9uIFZvY2F0aW9uYWwg
UmVoYWJpbGl0YXRpb24u
</description>`

I just want it to appear be formatted as a normal string field like:

`<description>test description</description>`

What are the best ways to force this?  I've been searching and reading through docs, but haven't been finding any helpful suggestions.

I appreciate any and all help,
thank you