Convert integer to hexadecimal and back again

How can I convert the following?

2934 (integer) to B76 (hex)

Let me explain what I am trying to do. I have User IDs in my database that are stored as integers. Rather than having users reference their IDs I want to let them use the hex value. The main reason is because it's shorter.

So not only do I need to go from integer to hex but I also need to go from hex to integer.

Is there an easy way to do this in C#?

// Store integer 182
int intValue = 182;
// Convert integer 182 as a hex in a string variable
string hexValue = intValue.ToString("X");
// Convert the hex string back to the number
int intAgain = int.Parse(hexValue, System.Globalization.NumberStyles.HexNumber);

from http://www.geekpedia.com/KB8_How-do-I-convert-from-decimal-to-hex-and-hex-to-decimal.html

---

HINT (from the comments):

Use .ToString("X4") to get exactly 4 digits with leading 0, or .ToString("x4") for lowercase hex numbers (likewise for more digits).

Use:

int myInt = 2934;
string myHex = myInt.ToString("X");  // Gives you hexadecimal
int myNewInt = Convert.ToInt32(myHex, 16);  // Back to int again.

See How to: Convert Between Hexadecimal Strings and Numeric Types (C# Programming Guide) for more information and examples.

Try the following to convert it to hex

public static string ToHex(this int value) {
  return String.Format("0x{0:X}", value);
}

And back again

public static int FromHex(string value) {
  // strip the leading 0x
  if ( value.StartsWith("0x", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) {
    value = value.Substring(2);
  }
  return Int32.Parse(value, NumberStyles.HexNumber);
}

int valInt = 12;
Console.WriteLine(valInt.ToString("X"));  // C  ~ possibly single-digit output 
Console.WriteLine(valInt.ToString("X2")); // 0C ~ always double-digit output

string HexFromID(int ID)
{
    return ID.ToString("X");
}

int IDFromHex(string HexID)
{
    return int.Parse(HexID, System.Globalization.NumberStyles.HexNumber);
}

I really question the value of this, though. You're stated goal is to make the value shorter, which it will, but that isn't a goal in itself. You really mean either make it easier to remember or easier to type.

If you mean easier to remember, then you're taking a step backwards. We know it's still the same size, just encoded differently. But your users won't know that the letters are restricted to 'A-F', and so the ID will occupy the same conceptual space for them as if the letter 'A-Z' were allowed. So instead of being like memorizing a telephone number, it's more like memorizing a GUID (of equivalent length).

If you mean typing, instead of being able to use the keypad the user now must use the main part of the keyboard. It's likely to be more difficult to type, because it won't be a word their fingers recognize.

A much better option is to actually let them pick a real username.

To Hex:

string hex = intValue.ToString("X");

To int:

int intValue = int.Parse(hex, System.Globalization.NumberStyles.HexNumber)

I created my own solution for converting int to Hex string and back before I found this answer. Not surprisingly, it's considerably faster than the .net solution since there's less code overhead.

        /// <summary>
		/// Convert an integer to a string of hexidecimal numbers.
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="n">The int to convert to Hex representation</param>
		/// <param name="len">number of digits in the hex string. Pads with leading zeros.</param>
		/// <returns></returns>
		private static String IntToHexString(int n, int len)
		{
			char[] ch = new char[len--];
			for (int i = len; i >= 0; i--)
			{
				ch[len - i] = ByteToHexChar((byte)((uint)(n >> 4 * i) & 15));
			}
			return new String(ch);
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Convert a byte to a hexidecimal char
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="b"></param>
		/// <returns></returns>
		private static char ByteToHexChar(byte b)
		{
			if (b < 0 || b > 15)
				throw new Exception("IntToHexChar: input out of range for Hex value");
			return b < 10 ? (char)(b + 48) : (char)(b + 55);
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Convert a hexidecimal string to an base 10 integer
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="str"></param>
		/// <returns></returns>
		private static int HexStringToInt(String str)
		{
			int value = 0;
			for (int i = 0; i < str.Length; i++)
			{
				value += HexCharToInt(str[i]) << ((str.Length - 1 - i) * 4);
			}
			return value;
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Convert a hex char to it an integer.
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="ch"></param>
		/// <returns></returns>
		private static int HexCharToInt(char ch)
		{
			if (ch < 48 || (ch > 57 && ch < 65) || ch > 70)
				throw new Exception("HexCharToInt: input out of range for Hex value");
			return (ch < 58) ? ch - 48 : ch - 55;
		}

Timing code:

static void Main(string[] args)
		{
			int num = 3500;
			long start = System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch.GetTimestamp();
			for (int i = 0; i < 2000000; i++)
				if (num != HexStringToInt(IntToHexString(num, 3)))
					Console.WriteLine(num + " = " + HexStringToInt(IntToHexString(num, 3)));
			long end = System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch.GetTimestamp();
			Console.WriteLine(((double)end - (double)start)/(double)System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch.Frequency);

			for (int i = 0; i < 2000000; i++)
				if (num != Convert.ToInt32(num.ToString("X3"), 16))
					Console.WriteLine(i);
			end = System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch.GetTimestamp();
			Console.WriteLine(((double)end - (double)start)/(double)System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch.Frequency);
			Console.ReadLine();	
		}

Results:

Digits : MyCode : .Net
1 : 0.21 : 0.45
2 : 0.31 : 0.56
4 : 0.51 : 0.78
6 : 0.70 : 1.02
8 : 0.90 : 1.25

NET FRAMEWORK

> Very well explained and few programming lines > GOOD JOB

// Store integer 182
int intValue = 182;
// Convert integer 182 as a hex in a string variable
string hexValue = intValue.ToString("X");
// Convert the hex string back to the number
int intAgain = int.Parse(hexValue, System.Globalization.NumberStyles.HexNumber);

PASCAL >> C# >http://files.hddguru.com/download/Software/Seagate/St_mem.pas

Something from the old school very old procedure of pascal converted to C #

    /// <summary>
    /// Conver number from Decadic to Hexadecimal
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="w"></param>
    /// <returns></returns>
    public string MakeHex(int w)
    {
        try
        {
           char[] b =  {'0','1','2','3','4','5','6','7','8','9','A','B','C','D','E','F'};
           char[] S = new char[7];

              S[0] = b[(w >> 24) & 15];
              S[1] = b[(w >> 20) & 15];
              S[2] = b[(w >> 16) & 15];
              S[3] = b[(w >> 12) & 15];
              S[4] = b[(w >> 8) & 15];
              S[5] = b[(w >> 4) & 15];
              S[6] = b[w & 15];

              string _MakeHex = new string(S, 0, S.Count());

              return _MakeHex;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            
            throw;
        }
    }

Print integer in hex-value with zero-padding (if needed) :

int intValue = 1234;

Console.WriteLine("{0,0:D4} {0,0:X3}", intValue); 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/base-types/how-to-pad-a-number-with-leading-zeros

Like @Joel C, I think this is an AB problem. There’s an existing algorithm that I think suits the need as described better which is uuencode, which I’m sure has many public domain implementations, perhaps tweaked to eliminate characters that looks very similar like 0/O. Likely to produce significantly shorter strings. I think this is what URL shorteners use.

int to hex:

> int a = 72; > > Console.WriteLine("{0:X}", a);

hex to int:

> int b = 0xB76; > > Console.WriteLine(b);