[c#] How do I encode and decode a base64 string?

1. How do I return a base64 encoded string given a string?

2. How do I decode a base64 encoded string into a string?

You can use below routine to convert string to base64 format

public static string ToBase64(string s)
{
    byte[] buffer = System.Text.Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes(s);
    return System.Convert.ToBase64String(buffer);
}

Also you can use very good online tool OnlineUtility.in to encode string in base64 format

One liner code:

Note: Use System and System.Text directives.

Encode:

string encodedStr = Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("inputStr"));

Decode:

string inputStr = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(Convert.FromBase64String(encodedStr));

For those that simply want to encode/decode individual base64 digits:

public static int DecodeBase64Digit(char digit, string digit62 = "+-.~", string digit63 = "/_,")
{
    if (digit >= 'A' && digit <= 'Z') return digit - 'A';
    if (digit >= 'a' && digit <= 'z') return digit + (26 - 'a');
    if (digit >= '0' && digit <= '9') return digit + (52 - '0');
    if (digit62.IndexOf(digit) > -1)  return 62;
    if (digit63.IndexOf(digit) > -1)  return 63;
    return -1;
}

public static char EncodeBase64Digit(int digit, char digit62 = '+', char digit63 = '/')
{
    digit &= 63;
    if (digit < 52)
        return (char)(digit < 26 ? digit + 'A' : digit + ('a' - 26));
    else if (digit < 62)
        return (char)(digit + ('0' - 52));
    else
        return digit == 62 ? digit62 : digit63;
}

There are various versions of Base64 that disagree about what to use for digits 62 and 63, so DecodeBase64Digit can tolerate several of these.

I'm sharing my implementation with some neat features:

• uses Extension Methods for Encoding class. Rationale is that someone may need to support different types of encodings (not only UTF8).
• Another improvement is failing gracefully with null result for null entry - it's very useful in real life scenarios and supports equivalence for X=decode(encode(X)).

Remark: Remember that to use Extension Method you have to (!) import the namespace with using keyword (in this case using MyApplication.Helpers.Encoding).

Code:

namespace MyApplication.Helpers.Encoding
{
    public static class EncodingForBase64
    {
        public static string EncodeBase64(this System.Text.Encoding encoding, string text)
        {
            if (text == null)
            {
                return null;
            }

            byte[] textAsBytes = encoding.GetBytes(text);
            return System.Convert.ToBase64String(textAsBytes);
        }

        public static string DecodeBase64(this System.Text.Encoding encoding, string encodedText)
        {
            if (encodedText == null)
            {
                return null;
            }

            byte[] textAsBytes = System.Convert.FromBase64String(encodedText);
            return encoding.GetString(textAsBytes);
        }
    }
}

Usage example:

using MyApplication.Helpers.Encoding; // !!!

namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Test1();
            Test2();
        }

        static void Test1()
        {
            string textEncoded = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.EncodeBase64("test1...");
            System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(textEncoded == "dGVzdDEuLi4=");

            string textDecoded = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.DecodeBase64(textEncoded);
            System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(textDecoded == "test1...");
        }

        static void Test2()
        {
            string textEncoded = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.EncodeBase64(null);
            System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(textEncoded == null);

            string textDecoded = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.DecodeBase64(textEncoded);
            System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(textDecoded == null);
        }
    }
}

You can display it like this:

var strOriginal = richTextBox1.Text;

byte[] byt = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(strOriginal);

// convert the byte array to a Base64 string
string strModified = Convert.ToBase64String(byt);

richTextBox1.Text = "" + strModified;

Now, converting it back.

var base64EncodedBytes = System.Convert.FromBase64String(richTextBox1.Text);

richTextBox1.Text = "" + System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(base64EncodedBytes);
MessageBox.Show("Done Converting! (ASCII from base64)");

I hope this helps!

Based on the answers by Andrew Fox and Cebe, I turned it around and made them string extensions instead of Base64String extensions.

public static class StringExtensions
{
    public static string ToBase64(this string text)
    {
        return ToBase64(text, Encoding.UTF8);
    }

    public static string ToBase64(this string text, Encoding encoding)
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(text))
        {
            return text;
        }

        byte[] textAsBytes = encoding.GetBytes(text);
        return Convert.ToBase64String(textAsBytes);
    }

    public static bool TryParseBase64(this string text, out string decodedText)
    {
        return TryParseBase64(text, Encoding.UTF8, out decodedText);
    }

    public static bool TryParseBase64(this string text, Encoding encoding, out string decodedText)
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(text))
        {
            decodedText = text;
            return false;
        }

        try
        {
            byte[] textAsBytes = Convert.FromBase64String(text);
            decodedText = encoding.GetString(textAsBytes);
            return true;
        }
        catch (Exception)
        {
            decodedText = null;
            return false;
        }
    }
}

    using System;
    using System.Text;

    public static class Base64Conversions
    {
        public static string EncodeBase64(this string text, Encoding encoding = null)
        { 
            if (text == null) return null;

            encoding = encoding ?? Encoding.UTF8;
            var bytes = encoding.GetBytes(text);
            return Convert.ToBase64String(bytes);
        }

        public static string DecodeBase64(this string encodedText, Encoding encoding = null)
        {
            if (encodedText == null) return null;

            encoding = encoding ?? Encoding.UTF8;
            var bytes = Convert.FromBase64String(encodedText);
            return encoding.GetString(bytes);
        }
    }

Usage

    var text = "Sample Text";
    var base64 = text.EncodeBase64();
    base64 = text.EncodeBase64(Encoding.UTF8); //or with Encoding

URL safe Base64 Encoding/Decoding

public static class Base64Url
{
    public static string Encode(string text)
    {
        return Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(text)).TrimEnd('=').Replace('+', '-')
            .Replace('/', '_');
    }

    public static string Decode(string text)
    {
        text = text.Replace('_', '/').Replace('-', '+');
        switch (text.Length % 4)
        {
            case 2:
                text += "==";
                break;
            case 3:
                text += "=";
                break;
        }
        return Encoding.UTF8.GetString(Convert.FromBase64String(text));
    }
}

A slight variation on andrew.fox answer, as the string to decode might not be a correct base64 encoded string:

using System;

namespace Service.Support
{
    public static class Base64
    {
        public static string ToBase64(this System.Text.Encoding encoding, string text)
        {
            if (text == null)
            {
                return null;
            }

            byte[] textAsBytes = encoding.GetBytes(text);
            return Convert.ToBase64String(textAsBytes);
        }

        public static bool TryParseBase64(this System.Text.Encoding encoding, string encodedText, out string decodedText)
        {
            if (encodedText == null)
            {
                decodedText = null;
                return false;
            }

            try
            {
                byte[] textAsBytes = Convert.FromBase64String(encodedText);
                decodedText = encoding.GetString(textAsBytes);
                return true;
            }
            catch (Exception)
            {
                decodedText = null;
                return false;   
            }
        }
    }
}