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Base64 Encoder/Decoder in C#

By wchvic

An implementation of Base64 encoding/decoding in C#
C#, Windows, .NET1.1VS.NET2003, Dev
Posted:19 Nov 2003
Views:145,676
Bookmarked:46 times
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Popularity: 4.82 Rating: 3.20 out of 5
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Introduction

The code implements the encoding and decoding mechanism of Base64, which is widely used in e-Mail encoding and also .NET Viewstate encoding.

Background

It is written based on RFC 1341, using VS.NET 2003.

Notes

I didn't implement filtering and inserting carriage return and newline etc.

Code Listing

Encoder source

using System;

namespace TestBase64
{
  /// <summary>

  /// Summary description for Base64Encoder.

  /// </summary>

  public class Base64Encoder
  {
    byte[] source;
    int length,length2;
    int blockCount;
    int paddingCount;
    public Base64Encoder(byte[] input)
    {
      source=input;
      length=input.Length;
      if((length % 3)==0)
      {
        paddingCount=0;
        blockCount=length/3;
      }
      else
      {
        paddingCount=3-(length % 3);//need to add padding

        blockCount=(length+paddingCount) / 3;
      }
      length2=length+paddingCount;//or blockCount *3

    }

    public char[] GetEncoded()
    {
      byte[] source2;
      source2=new byte[length2];
      //copy data over insert padding

      for (int x=0; x<length2;x++)
      {
        if (x<length)
        {
          source2[x]=source[x];
        }
        else
        {
          source2[x]=0;
        }
      }
      
      byte b1, b2, b3;
      byte temp, temp1, temp2, temp3, temp4;
      byte[] buffer=new byte;
      char[] result=new char;
      for (int x=0;x<blockCount;x++)
      {
        b1=source2[x*3];
        b2=source2[x*3+1];
        b3=source2[x*3+2];

        temp1=(byte)((b1 & 252)>>2);//first


        temp=(byte)((b1 & 3)<<4);
        temp2=(byte)((b2 & 240)>>4);
        temp2+=temp; //second


        temp=(byte)((b2 & 15)<<2);
        temp3=(byte)((b3 & 192)>>6);
        temp3+=temp; //third


        temp4=(byte)(b3 & 63); //fourth


        buffer[x*4]=temp1;
        buffer[x*4+1]=temp2;
        buffer[x*4+2]=temp3;
        buffer[x*4+3]=temp4;

      }

      for (int x=0; x<blockCount*4;x++)
      {
        result[x]=sixbit2char(buffer[x]);
      }

      //covert last "A"s to "=", based on paddingCount

      switch (paddingCount)
      {
        case 0:break;
        case 1:result='=';break;
        case 2:result='=';
          result='=';
          break;
        default:break;
      }
      return result;
    }

    private char sixbit2char(byte b)
    {
      char[] lookupTable=new char[64]
          {  'A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L','M',
            'N','O','P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y','Z',
            'a','b','c','d','e','f','g','h','i','j','k','l','m',
            'n','o','p','q','r','s','t','u','v','w','x','y','z',
            '0','1','2','3','4','5','6','7','8','9','+','/'};

      if((b>=0) &&(b<=63))
      {
        return lookupTable[(int)b];
      }
      else
      {
        //should not happen;

        return ' ';
      }
    }
  }
}

Decoder source

using System;

namespace TestBase64
{
  /// <summary>

  /// Summary description for Base64Decoder.

  /// </summary>

  public class Base64Decoder
  {
    char[] source;
    int length, length2, length3;
    int blockCount;
    int paddingCount;
    public Base64Decoder(char[] input)
    {
      int temp=0;
      source=input;
      length=input.Length;

      //find how many padding are there

      for (int x=0;x<2;x++)
      {
        if(input[length-x-1]=='=')
          temp++;
      }
      paddingCount=temp;
      //calculate the blockCount;

      //assuming all whitespace and carriage returns/newline were removed.

      blockCount=length/4;
      length2=blockCount*3;
    }

    public byte[] GetDecoded()
    {
      byte[] buffer=new byte[length];//first conversion result

      byte[] buffer2=new byte[length2];//decoded array with padding


      for(int x=0;x<length;x++)
      {
        buffer[x]=char2sixbit(source[x]);
      }

      byte b, b1,b2,b3;
      byte temp1, temp2, temp3, temp4;

      for(int x=0;x<blockCount;x++)
      {
        temp1=buffer[x*4];
        temp2=buffer[x*4+1];
        temp3=buffer[x*4+2];
        temp4=buffer[x*4+3];        

        b=(byte)(temp1<<2);
        b1=(byte)((temp2 & 48)>>4);
        b1+=b;

        b=(byte)((temp2 & 15)<<4);
        b2=(byte)((temp3 & 60)>>2);
        b2+=b;

        b=(byte)((temp3 & 3)<<6);
        b3=temp4;
        b3+=b;

        buffer2[x*3]=b1;
        buffer2[x*3+1]=b2;
        buffer2[x*3+2]=b3;
      }
      //remove paddings

      length3=length2-paddingCount;
      byte[] result=new byte[length3];

      for(int x=0;x<length3;x++)
      {
        result[x]=buffer2[x];
      }

      return result;
    }

    private byte char2sixbit(char c)
    {
      char[] lookupTable=new char[64]
          {  

    'A','B','C','D','E','F','G','H','I','J','K','L','M','N',
    'O','P','Q','R','S','T','U','V','W','X','Y', 'Z',
    'a','b','c','d','e','f','g','h','i','j','k','l','m','n',
    'o','p','q','r','s','t','u','v','w','x','y','z',
    '0','1','2','3','4','5','6','7','8','9','+','/'};
      if(c=='=')
        return 0;
      else
      {
        for (int x=0;x<64;x++)
        {
          if (lookupTable[x]==c)
            return (byte)x;
        }
        //should not reach here

        return 0;
      }

    }

  }
}

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

About the Author

wchvic


Member

Occupation: Web Developer
Location: Canada Canada

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 Msgs 1 to 19 of 19 (Total in Forum: 19) (Refresh)FirstPrevNext
GeneralVery inefficient encoder PinmemberAndyKernahan0:06 30 Jun '07  
GeneralRe: Very inefficient encoder PinmemberTimmMartin4:56 27 Feb '08  
GeneralC#.NET Window applicaiton Pinmembercrish_fn9:41 21 Feb '07  
Generaldecoding is broken if there are linefeeds Pinmemberno_way21:08 20 Feb '07  
GeneralThanks for the code PinmemberWillStay4:18 7 Oct '06  
GeneralReally useful in mail subject decoding PinmemberK.V.Raja5:07 22 Aug '06  
JokeReliable than .NET version! Thanks Pinmembermeraydin21:31 21 Jun '06  
GeneralRe: Reliable than .NET version! Thanks PinmemberSenFo11:01 24 Jan '07  
GeneralVery Useful - especially if you want to implement a base 64 encoder for URL Pinmembermonkeydispenser2:44 17 Mar '06  
GeneralDoes not work with email attachments PinmemberTom W.4:47 3 May '04  
General8Bit decoding/encoding PinmemberAndre Colbiornsen23:40 25 Nov '03  
GeneralConvert.ToBase64String && Convert.FromBase64String Will do this Pinsussmsraju20:12 20 Nov '03  
GeneralRe: Convert.ToBase64String && Convert.FromBase64String Will do this Pinmemberwchvic22:11 20 Nov '03  
GeneralRe: Convert.ToBase64String && Convert.FromBase64String Will do this Pinmemberhspc5:12 18 May '04  
GeneralRe: Convert.ToBase64String && Convert.FromBase64String Will do this PinmemberSenFo9:27 24 Jan '07  
GeneralUseful. :) PinmemberJon Rista19:25 20 Nov '03  
GeneralRe: Useful. :) Pinmemberwchvic19:32 20 Nov '03  
GeneralRe: Useful. :) Pinmemberdog_spawn6:47 21 Nov '03  
GeneralRe: Useful. :) PinmemberChristopher Pietschmann, MCSD, MCAD5:23 3 Feb '05  

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Last Updated: 19 Nov 2003
Editor: Nishant Sivakumar
Copyright 2003 by wchvic
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