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?

###Encode

public static string Base64Encode(string plainText) {
  var plainTextBytes = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(plainText);
  return System.Convert.ToBase64String(plainTextBytes);
}

###Decode

public static string Base64Decode(string base64EncodedData) {
  var base64EncodedBytes = System.Convert.FromBase64String(base64EncodedData);
  return System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetString(base64EncodedBytes);
}

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));

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);
        }
    }
}

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;
        }
    }
}

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;   
            }
        }
    }
}

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

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));
    }
}

    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

// Encoding
string passw = "tes123";
var plainTextBytes = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(passw);
string pass = System.Convert.ToBase64String(plainTextBytes);

// Normal
var encodedTextBytes = Convert.FromBase64String(pass);
string plainText = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(encodedTextBytes);

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!

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.