Index: includes/common.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/common.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.1151
diff -u -r1.1151 common.inc
--- includes/common.inc	24 Apr 2010 14:53:59 -0000	1.1151
+++ includes/common.inc	26 Apr 2010 20:57:30 -0000
@@ -5752,7 +5752,7 @@
     }
 
     // Build array of fields to update or insert.
-    if (empty($info['serialize'])) {
+    if ($info['type'] != 'blob' || empty($info['serialize'])) {
       $fields[$field] = $object->$field;
     }
     elseif (isset($object->$field)) {
Index: includes/menu.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/menu.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.387
diff -u -r1.387 menu.inc
--- includes/menu.inc	26 Apr 2010 14:06:23 -0000	1.387
+++ includes/menu.inc	26 Apr 2010 20:57:30 -0000
@@ -2687,23 +2687,7 @@
   $menu_name = $item['menu_name'];
 
   if (!$existing_item) {
-    $item['mlid'] = db_insert('menu_links')
-      ->fields(array(
-        'menu_name' => $item['menu_name'],
-        'plid' => $item['plid'],
-        'link_path' => $item['link_path'],
-        'hidden' => $item['hidden'],
-        'external' => $item['external'],
-        'has_children' => $item['has_children'],
-        'expanded' => $item['expanded'],
-        'weight' => $item['weight'],
-        'module' => $item['module'],
-        'link_title' => $item['link_title'],
-        'options' => serialize($item['options']),
-        'customized' => $item['customized'],
-        'updated' => $item['updated'],
-      ))
-      ->execute();
+    drupal_write_record('menu_links', $item);
   }
 
   // Directly fill parents for top-level links.
@@ -2750,34 +2734,7 @@
   // $item may have additional keys left over from building a router entry.
   // The intersect removes the extra keys, allowing a meaningful comparison.
   if (!$existing_item || (array_intersect_assoc($item, $existing_item)) != $existing_item) {
-    db_update('menu_links')
-      ->fields(array(
-        'menu_name' => $item['menu_name'],
-        'plid' => $item['plid'],
-        'link_path' => $item['link_path'],
-        'router_path' => $item['router_path'],
-        'hidden' => $item['hidden'],
-        'external' => $item['external'],
-        'has_children' => $item['has_children'],
-        'expanded' => $item['expanded'],
-        'weight' => $item['weight'],
-        'depth' => $item['depth'],
-        'p1' => $item['p1'],
-        'p2' => $item['p2'],
-        'p3' => $item['p3'],
-        'p4' => $item['p4'],
-        'p5' => $item['p5'],
-        'p6' => $item['p6'],
-        'p7' => $item['p7'],
-        'p8' => $item['p8'],
-        'p9' => $item['p9'],
-        'module' => $item['module'],
-        'link_title' => $item['link_title'],
-        'options' => serialize($item['options']),
-        'customized' => $item['customized'],
-      ))
-      ->condition('mlid', $item['mlid'])
-      ->execute();
+    drupal_write_record('menu_links', $item, 'mlid');
     // Check the has_children status of the parent.
     _menu_update_parental_status($item);
     menu_cache_clear($menu_name);
Index: modules/dblog/dblog.install
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/dblog/dblog.install,v
retrieving revision 1.20
diff -u -r1.20 dblog.install
--- modules/dblog/dblog.install	4 Dec 2009 16:49:46 -0000	1.20
+++ modules/dblog/dblog.install	26 Apr 2010 20:57:30 -0000
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@
         'description' => 'Text of log message to be passed into the t() function.',
       ),
       'variables' => array(
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'size' => 'big',
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
         'description' => 'Serialized array of variables that match the message string and that is passed into the t() function.',
       ),
       'severity' => array(
@@ -137,6 +138,23 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Convert serialized fields to blob.
+ */
+function dblog_update_7004() {
+  // 'text' column type doesn't reliably hold serialized variables. Convert to 'blob'. See http://drupal.org/node/690746
+  // See database_test.test: DatabaseTestCase
+
+  $spec = array(
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => TRUE,
+    'size' => 'big',
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+    'description' => 'Serialized array of variables that match the message string and that is passed into the t() function.',
+  );
+  db_change_field('watchdog', 'variables', 'variables', $spec);
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup updates-6.x-to-7.x"
  * The next series of updates should start at 8000.
  */
Index: modules/field/field.install
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/field/field.install,v
retrieving revision 1.18
diff -u -r1.18 field.install
--- modules/field/field.install	27 Mar 2010 05:52:49 -0000	1.18
+++ modules/field/field.install	26 Apr 2010 20:57:30 -0000
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@
         'description' => '@TODO',
       ),
       'data' => array(
-        'type' => 'text',
-        'size' => 'medium',
+        'type' => 'blob',
+        'size' => 'big',
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'serialize' => TRUE,
         'description' => 'Serialized data containing the field properties that do not warrant a dedicated column.',
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@
         'default' => ''
       ),
       'data' => array(
-        'type' => 'text',
-        'size' => 'medium',
+        'type' => 'blob',
+        'size' => 'big',
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
Index: modules/filter/filter.install
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/filter/filter.install,v
retrieving revision 1.36
diff -u -r1.36 filter.install
--- modules/filter/filter.install	22 Apr 2010 05:44:41 -0000	1.36
+++ modules/filter/filter.install	26 Apr 2010 20:57:30 -0000
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
         'description' => 'Filter enabled status. (1 = enabled, 0 = disabled)',
       ),
       'settings' => array(
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
         'size' => 'big',
         'serialize' => TRUE,
@@ -422,6 +422,23 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Convert serialized fields to blob.
+ */
+function filter_update_7009() {
+  // 'text' column type doesn't reliably hold serialized variables. Convert to 'blob'. See http://drupal.org/node/690746
+  // See database_test.test: DatabaseTestCase
+
+  $spec = array(
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'size' => 'big',
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+    'description' => 'A serialized array of name value pairs that store the filter settings for the specific format.',
+  );
+  db_change_field('filter', 'settings', 'settings', $spec);
+}
+  
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup updates-6.x-to-7.x"
  * The next series of updates should start at 8000.
  */
Index: modules/image/image.install
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/image/image.install,v
retrieving revision 1.8
diff -u -r1.8 image.install
--- modules/image/image.install	9 Apr 2010 12:07:12 -0000	1.8
+++ modules/image/image.install	26 Apr 2010 20:57:30 -0000
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
       ),
       'data' => array(
         'description' => 'The configuration data for the effect.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'size' => 'big',
         'serialize' => TRUE,
Index: modules/rdf/rdf.install
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/rdf/rdf.install,v
retrieving revision 1.3
diff -u -r1.3 rdf.install
--- modules/rdf/rdf.install	26 Feb 2010 18:31:29 -0000	1.3
+++ modules/rdf/rdf.install	26 Apr 2010 20:57:30 -0000
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
       ),
       'mapping' => array(
         'description' => 'The serialized mapping of the bundle type and fields to RDF terms.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
         'size' => 'big',
         'serialize' => TRUE,
Index: modules/simpletest/tests/database_test.install
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/simpletest/tests/database_test.install,v
retrieving revision 1.11
diff -u -r1.11 database_test.install
--- modules/simpletest/tests/database_test.install	3 Mar 2010 08:40:25 -0000	1.11
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/database_test.install	26 Apr 2010 20:57:30 -0000
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
       ),
       'info' => array(
         'description' => "The person's data in serialized form.",
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
     ),
Index: modules/simpletest/tests/database_test.test
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/simpletest/tests/database_test.test,v
retrieving revision 1.87
diff -u -r1.87 database_test.test
--- modules/simpletest/tests/database_test.test	11 Apr 2010 18:33:44 -0000	1.87
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/database_test.test	26 Apr 2010 20:57:31 -0000
@@ -629,6 +629,27 @@
     $r = db_query('SELECT * FROM {test_two_blobs} WHERE id = :id', array(':id' => $id))->fetchAssoc();
     $this->assertTrue($r['blob1'] === 'This is' && $r['blob2'] === 'a test', t('Can insert multiple blobs per row.'));
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Test that we can insert serialized data into important fields.
+   */
+  function testInsertSerializedData() {
+    // Alternative crash cases:
+    // 1)
+    //   drupal_set_message("Please dont crash" . hash('md5', 'too late', TRUE));
+    //   drupal_exit();
+    // 2)
+    //   variable_set("dontcrash", "Please dont crash" . hash('md5', 'too late', TRUE));
+    $name = "dontcrash";
+    $value = "Please dont crash" . hash('md5', 'too late', TRUE);
+    try {
+      db_merge('variable')->key(array('name' => $name))->fields(array('value' => serialize($value)))->execute();
+      $this->pass(t('Success! No PDO exception thrown.'));
+    } catch (Exception $e) {
+      $this->fail(t('Fail! Your serialized blobs are quite distraught.'));
+    }
+
+  }
 }
 
 /**
Index: modules/system/system.install
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/system/system.install,v
retrieving revision 1.461
diff -u -r1.461 system.install
--- modules/system/system.install	10 Apr 2010 17:30:15 -0000	1.461
+++ modules/system/system.install	26 Apr 2010 20:57:31 -0000
@@ -437,9 +437,10 @@
       ),
       'value' => array(
         'description' => 'The value of the variable.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'size' => 'big',
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
         'translatable' => TRUE,
       ),
     ),
@@ -472,9 +473,10 @@
       ),
       'parameters' => array(
         'description' => 'Parameters to be passed to the callback function.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => TRUE,
         'size' => 'big',
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
       'label' => array(
         'description' => 'Label of the action.',
@@ -511,9 +513,10 @@
       ),
       'batch' => array(
         'description' => 'A serialized array containing the processing data for the batch.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
         'size' => 'big',
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
     ),
     'primary key' => array('bid'),
@@ -575,8 +578,9 @@
       ),
       'headers' => array(
         'description' => 'Any custom HTTP headers to be added to cached data.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
       'serialized' => array(
         'description' => 'A flag to indicate whether content is serialized (1) or not (0).',
@@ -845,13 +849,15 @@
       ),
       'load_functions' => array(
         'description' => 'A serialized array of function names (like node_load) to be called to load an object corresponding to a part of the current path.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => TRUE,
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
       'to_arg_functions' => array(
         'description' => 'A serialized array of function names (like user_uid_optional_to_arg) to be called to replace a part of the router path with another string.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => TRUE,
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
       'access_callback' => array(
         'description' => 'The callback which determines the access to this router path. Defaults to user_access.',
@@ -862,8 +868,9 @@
       ),
       'access_arguments' => array(
         'description' => 'A serialized array of arguments for the access callback.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
       'page_callback' => array(
         'description' => 'The name of the function that renders the page.',
@@ -874,8 +881,9 @@
       ),
       'page_arguments' => array(
         'description' => 'A serialized array of arguments for the page callback.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
       'delivery_callback' => array(
         'description' => 'The name of the function that sends the result of the page_callback function to the browser.',
@@ -1044,9 +1052,10 @@
       ),
       'options' => array(
         'description' => 'A serialized array of options to be passed to the url() or l() function, such as a query string or HTML attributes.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
         'translatable' => TRUE,
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
       'module' => array(
         'description' => 'The name of the module that generated this link.',
@@ -1200,7 +1209,7 @@
         'description' => 'The queue name.',
       ),
       'data' => array(
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
         'size' => 'big',
         'serialize' => TRUE,
@@ -1379,9 +1388,10 @@
       ),
       'session' => array(
         'description' => 'The serialized contents of $_SESSION, an array of name/value pairs that persists across page requests by this session ID. Drupal loads $_SESSION from here at the start of each request and saves it at the end.',
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
         'size' => 'big',
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
     ),
     'primary key' => array('sid'),
@@ -1455,8 +1465,9 @@
       ),
       'info' => array(
         'description' => "A serialized array containing information from the module's .info file; keys can include name, description, package, version, core, dependencies, dependents, and php.",
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
+        'serialize' => TRUE,
       ),
     ),
     'primary key' => array('filename'),
@@ -2398,6 +2409,100 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Convert serialized fields to blob.
+ */
+function system_update_7053() {
+  // 'text' column type doesn't reliably hold serialized variables. Convert to 'blob'. See http://drupal.org/node/690746
+  // See database_test.test: DatabaseTestCase
+
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'The value of the variable.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => TRUE,
+    'size' => 'big',
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+    'translatable' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('variable', 'value', 'value', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'Parameters to be passed to the callback function.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => TRUE,
+    'size' => 'big',
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('actions', 'parameters', 'parameters', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'A serialized array containing the processing data for the batch.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'size' => 'big',
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('batch', 'batch', 'batch', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'A serialized array of function names (like node_load) to be called to load an object corresponding to a part of the current path.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => TRUE,
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('menu_router', 'load_functions', 'load_functions', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'A serialized array of function names (like user_uid_optional_to_arg) to be called to replace a part of the router path with another string.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => TRUE,
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('menu_router', 'to_arg_functions', 'to_arg_functions', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'A serialized array of arguments for the access callback.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('menu_router', 'access_arguments', 'access_arguments', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'A serialized array of arguments for the page callback.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('menu_router', 'page_arguments', 'page_arguments', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'A serialized array of options to be passed to the url() or l() function, such as a query string or HTML attributes.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'translatable' => TRUE,
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('menu_links', 'options', 'options', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => 'The serialized contents of $_SESSION, an array of name/value pairs that persists across page requests by this session ID. Drupal loads $_SESSION from here at the start of each request and saves it at the end.',
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'size' => 'big',
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('sessions', 'session', 'session', $spec);
+  
+  $spec = array(
+    'description' => "A serialized array containing information from the module's .info file; keys can include name, description, package, version, core, dependencies, dependents, and php.",
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+  );
+  db_change_field('system', 'info', 'info', $spec);
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup updates-6.x-to-7.x"
  * The next series of updates should start at 8000.
  */
Index: modules/user/user.install
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/user/user.install,v
retrieving revision 1.45
diff -u -r1.45 user.install
--- modules/user/user.install	13 Apr 2010 15:15:07 -0000	1.45
+++ modules/user/user.install	26 Apr 2010 20:57:31 -0000
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
         'description' => 'Email address used for initial account creation.',
       ),
       'data' => array(
-        'type' => 'text',
+        'type' => 'blob',
         'not null' => FALSE,
         'size' => 'big',
         'serialize' => TRUE,
@@ -590,6 +590,23 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Convert serialized fields to blob.
+ */
+function user_update_7008() {
+  // 'text' column type doesn't reliably hold serialized variables. Convert to 'blob'. See http://drupal.org/node/690746
+  // See database_test.test: DatabaseTestCase
+
+  $spec = array(
+    'type' => 'blob',
+    'not null' => FALSE,
+    'size' => 'big',
+    'serialize' => TRUE,
+    'description' => 'A serialized array of name value pairs that are related to the user. Any form values posted during user edit are stored and are loaded into the $user object during user_load(). Use of this field is discouraged and it will likely disappear in a future version of Drupal.',
+  );
+  db_change_field('users', 'data', 'data', $spec);
+}
+
+/**
  * @} End of "defgroup user-updates-6.x-to-7.x"
  * The next series of updates should start at 8000.
  */