Convert String, Byte Array. In VB.NET, a String can be stored as a series of Bytes. This is an efficient encoding for ASCII-only Strings.
Conversion notes. This conversion can make file formats more efficient, and it can help compatibility. In VB.NET we can convert Strings to Byte arrays.
Example. The ASCII.GetBytes() Function receives an argument of String type. And it returns a Byte array reference. We do not need to allocate the Byte array—this is automatically done.
Warning If you try to write non-ASCII characters, this will cause serious trouble. Data will be lost or even corrupted.
Module Module1
Sub Main()
' The input String.
Dim value As String = "abc!"' Convert String to Byte array.
Dim array() As Byte = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(value)
' Display Bytes.
For Each b As Byte In array
Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}", b, ChrW(b))
Next
End Sub
End Module97 = a
98 = b
99 = c
33 = !
Example 2. We can convert Bytes into Strings—for this we use the ASCII.GetString() Function. This Function receives a Byte array and it returns the converted String.
Detail We see that the output of this program is same as the previous program. ASCII.GetString round-trips the bytes from ASCII.GetBytes.
Module Module1
Sub Main()
' Input Bytes.
Dim array() As Byte = {86, 66, 46, 78, 69, 84}
' Use GetString.
Dim value As String = System.Text.ASCIIEncoding.ASCII.GetString(array)
Console.WriteLine(value)
End Sub
End ModuleVB.NET
Notes, char functions. Other Functions, such as ASCII.GetChars, are also available. We can get char arrays, or counts of chars, from these functions. These are less often needed in my experience.
Detail This returns a Char array containing the characters represented by the individual Bytes.
Detail This Function returns the number of characters in the output Char array.
A summary. Having an efficient way to store character data is important. Sometimes this is useful for compatibility—a function may require bytes, but we have a string.
Dot Net Perls is a collection of tested code examples. Pages are continually updated to stay current, with code correctness a top priority.
Sam Allen is passionate about computer languages. In the past, his work has been recommended by Apple and Microsoft and he has studied computers at a selective university in the United States.
This page was last updated on Sep 27, 2021 (new example).
