Convert.FromBase64String(String) Method

public:
 static cli::array <System::Byte> ^ FromBase64String(System::String ^ s);

public static byte[] FromBase64String (string s);

static member FromBase64String : string -> byte[]

Public Shared Function FromBase64String (s As String) As Byte()

Parameters

Returns

Byte[]

An array of 8-bit unsigned integers that is equivalent to s.

Exceptions

Examples

The following example uses the ToBase64String(Byte[]) method to convert a byte array to a UUencoded (base-64) string, and then calls the FromBase64String(String) method to restore the original byte array.

using System;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
       // Define a byte array.
       byte[] bytes = { 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 };
       Console.WriteLine("The byte array: ");
       Console.WriteLine("   {0}\n", BitConverter.ToString(bytes));

       // Convert the array to a base 64 string.
       string s = Convert.ToBase64String(bytes);
       Console.WriteLine("The base 64 string:\n   {0}\n", s);

       // Restore the byte array.
       byte[] newBytes = Convert.FromBase64String(s);
       Console.WriteLine("The restored byte array: ");
       Console.WriteLine("   {0}\n", BitConverter.ToString(newBytes));
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//     The byte array:
//        02-04-06-08-0A-0C-0E-10-12-14
//
//     The base 64 string:
//        AgQGCAoMDhASFA==
//
//     The restored byte array:
//        02-04-06-08-0A-0C-0E-10-12-14

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
       ' Define a byte array.
       Dim bytes As Byte() = { 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 }
       Console.WriteLine("The byte array: ")
       Console.WriteLine("   {0}", BitConverter.ToString(bytes))
       Console.WriteLine()
       
       ' Convert the array to a base 64 string.
       Dim s As String = Convert.ToBase64String(bytes)
       Console.WriteLine("The base 64 string:{1}   {0}{1}", 
                         s, vbCrLf)
       
       ' Restore the byte array.
       Dim newBytes As Byte() = Convert.FromBase64String(s)
       Console.WriteLine("The restored byte array: ")
       Console.WriteLine("   {0}", BitConverter.ToString(newBytes))
       Console.WriteLine()
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'     The byte array:
'        02-04-06-08-0A-0C-0E-10-12-14
'     
'     The base 64 string:
'        AgQGCAoMDhASFA==
'     
'     The restored byte array:
'        02-04-06-08-0A-0C-0E-10-12-14

The following is a more complex example that creates a 20-element array of 32-bit integers. It then uses the BitConverter.GetBytes(Int32) method to convert each element into a byte array, which it stores in the appropriate position in a buffer by calling the Array.Copy(Array, Int32, Array, Int32, Int32) method. This buffer is then passed to the ToBase64String(Byte[]) method to create a UUencoded (base-64) string. It then calls the FromBase64String(String) method to decode the UUencoded string, and calls the BitConverter.ToInt32 method to convert each set of four bytes (the size of a 32-bit integer) to an integer. The output from the example shows that the original array has been successfully restored.

using System;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      // Define an array of 20 elements and display it.
      int[] arr = new int[20];
      int value = 1;
      for (int ctr = 0; ctr <= arr.GetUpperBound(0); ctr++) {
         arr[ctr] = value;
         value = value * 2 + 1;
      }
      DisplayArray(arr);

      // Convert the array of integers to a byte array.
      byte[] bytes = new byte[arr.Length * 4];
      for (int ctr = 0; ctr < arr.Length; ctr++) {
         Array.Copy(BitConverter.GetBytes(arr[ctr]), 0,
                    bytes, ctr * 4, 4);
      }

      // Encode the byte array using Base64 encoding
      String base64 = Convert.ToBase64String(bytes);
      Console.WriteLine("The encoded string: ");
      for (int ctr = 0; ctr <= base64.Length / 50; ctr++)
         Console.WriteLine(base64.Substring(ctr * 50,
                                            ctr * 50 + 50 <= base64.Length
                                               ? 50 : base64.Length - ctr * 50));
      Console.WriteLine();

      // Convert the string back to a byte array.
      byte[] newBytes = Convert.FromBase64String(base64);

      // Convert the byte array back to an integer array.
      int[] newArr = new int[newBytes.Length/4];
      for (int ctr = 0; ctr < newBytes.Length / 4; ctr ++)
         newArr[ctr] = BitConverter.ToInt32(newBytes, ctr * 4);

      DisplayArray(newArr);
   }

   private static void DisplayArray(Array arr)
   {
      Console.WriteLine("The array:");
      Console.Write("{ ");
      for (int ctr = 0; ctr < arr.GetUpperBound(0); ctr++) {
         Console.Write("{0}, ", arr.GetValue(ctr));
         if ((ctr + 1) % 10 == 0)
            Console.Write("\n  ");
      }
      Console.WriteLine("{0} {1}", arr.GetValue(arr.GetUpperBound(0)), "}");
      Console.WriteLine();
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
// The array:
// { 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, 511, 1023,
//   2047, 4095, 8191, 16383, 32767, 65535, 131071, 262143, 524287, 1048575 }
//
// The encoded string:
// AQAAAAMAAAAHAAAADwAAAB8AAAA/AAAAfwAAAP8AAAD/AQAA/w
// MAAP8HAAD/DwAA/x8AAP8/AAD/fwAA//8AAP//AQD//wMA//8H
//
// The array:
// { 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, 511, 1023,
//   2047, 4095, 8191, 16383, 32767, 65535, 131071, 262143, 524287, 1048575 }

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      ' Define an array of 20 elements and display it.
      Dim arr(19) As Integer 
      Dim value As Integer = 1
      For ctr As Integer = 0 To arr.GetUpperBound(0)
         arr(ctr) = value
         value = value * 2 + 1
      Next
      DisplayArray(arr)

      ' Convert the array of integers to a byte array.
      Dim bytes(arr.Length * 4 - 1) As Byte 
      For ctr As Integer = 0 To arr.Length - 1
         Array.Copy(BitConverter.GetBytes(arr(ctr)), 0, 
                    bytes, ctr * 4, 4)
      Next
         
      ' Encode the byte array using Base64 encoding
      Dim base64 As String = Convert.ToBase64String(bytes)
      Console.WriteLine("The encoded string: ")
      For ctr As Integer = 0 To base64.Length \ 50 - 1 
         Console.WriteLine(base64.Substring(ctr * 50, 
                                            If(ctr * 50 + 50 <= base64.Length, 
                                               50, base64.Length - ctr * 50)))
      Next
      Console.WriteLine()
      
      ' Convert the string back to a byte array.
      Dim newBytes() As Byte = Convert.FromBase64String(base64)

      ' Convert the byte array back to an integer array.
      Dim newArr(newBytes.Length\4 - 1) As Integer
      For ctr As Integer = 0 To newBytes.Length \ 4 - 1
         newArr(ctr) = BitConverter.ToInt32(newBytes, ctr * 4)
      Next   
      DisplayArray(newArr)
   End Sub

   Private Sub DisplayArray(arr As Array)
      Console.WriteLine("The array:")
      Console.Write("{ ")
      For ctr As Integer = 0 To arr.GetUpperBound(0) - 1
         Console.Write("{0}, ", arr.GetValue(ctr))
         If (ctr + 1) Mod 10 = 0 Then Console.Write("{0}  ", vbCrLf)
      Next
      Console.WriteLine("{0} {1}", arr.GetValue(arr.GetUpperBound(0)), "}")
      Console.WriteLine()
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'     The array:
'     { 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, 511, 1023,
'       2047, 4095, 8191, 16383, 32767, 65535, 131071, 262143, 524287, 1048575 }
'     
'     The encoded string:
'     AQAAAAMAAAAHAAAADwAAAB8AAAA/AAAAfwAAAP8AAAD/AQAA/w
'     MAAP8HAAD/DwAA/x8AAP8/AAD/fwAA//8AAP//AQD//wMA//8H
'     
'     The array:
'     { 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, 511, 1023,
'       2047, 4095, 8191, 16383, 32767, 65535, 131071, 262143, 524287, 1048575 }

Remarks

s is composed of base-64 digits, white-space characters, and trailing padding characters. The base-64 digits in ascending order from zero are the uppercase characters "A" to "Z", lowercase characters "a" to "z", numerals "0" to "9", and the symbols "+" and "/".

The white-space characters, and their Unicode names and hexadecimal code points, are tab (CHARACTER TABULATION, U+0009), newline (LINE FEED, U+000A), carriage return (CARRIAGE RETURN, U+000D), and blank (SPACE, U+0020). An arbitrary number of white-space characters can appear in s because all white-space characters are ignored.

The valueless character, "=", is used for trailing padding. The end of s can consist of zero, one, or two padding characters.

Applies to

See also

• ToBase64String(Byte[])
• FromBase64Transform
• Sample: .NET Framework 4 Base64 Converter