BitConverter

In programming you often need to convert a built-in data type into an array of bytes. For example, some hardware device might require an integer value, but that value must be sent one byte at a time. The reverse situation also frequently occurs. Sometimes data will be received as an ordered sequence of bytes that needs to be converted into one of the built-in types. For example, a device might output integers, sent as a stream of bytes. Whatever your conversion needs, C# provides the BitConverter class to meet them.

BitConverter contains the methods shown in Table 20-13. It defines the following field:

 public static readonly bool IsLittleEndian

Table 20-13: Methods Defined by BitConverter

Method	Meaning
public static long DoubleToInt64Bits(double v)	Converts v into a long integer and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(bool v)	Converts v into a 1-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(char v)	Converts v into a 2-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(double v)	Converts v into an 8-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(float v)	Converts v into a 4-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(int v)	Converts v into a 4-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(long v)	Converts v into an 8-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(short v)	Converts v into a 2-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(uint v)	Converts v into a 4-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(ulong v)	Converts v into an 8-byte array and returns the result.
public static byte[ ] GetBytes(ushort v)	Converts v into a 2-byte array and returns the result.
public static double Int64BitsToDouble(long v)	Converts v into a double floating-point value and returns the result.
public static bool ToBoolean(byte[ ] a, int idx)	Converts the byte at a[idx] into its bool equivalent and returns the result. A non-zero value is converted to true; zero is converted to false.
public static char ToChar(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts two bytes starting at a[start] into its char equivalent and returns the result.
public static double ToDouble(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts eight bytes starting at a[start] into its double equivalent and returns the result.
public static short ToInt16(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts two bytes starting at a[start] into its short equivalent and returns the result.
public static int ToInt32(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts four bytes starting at a[start] into its int equivalent and returns the result.
public static long ToInt64(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts eight bytes starting at a[start] into its long equivalent and returns the result.
public static float ToSingle(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts four bytes starting at a[start] into its float equivalent and returns the result.
public static string ToString(byte[ ] a)	Converts the bytes in a into a string. The string contains the hexadecimal values associated with the bytes, separated by hyphens.
public static string ToString(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts the bytes in a, beginning at a[start], into a string. The string contains the hexadecimal values associated with the bytes, separated by hyphens.
public static string ToString(byte[ ] a, int start, int count)	Converts the bytes in a, beginning at a[start] and running for count bytes, into a string. The string contains the hexadecimal values associated with the bytes, separated by hyphens.
public static ushort ToUInt16(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts two bytes starting at a[start] into its ushort equivalent and returns the result.
public static uint ToUInt32(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts four bytes starting at a[start] into its uint equivalent and returns the result.
public static ulong ToUInt64(byte[ ] a, int start)	Converts eight bytes starting at a[start] into its ulong equivalent and returns the result.

This field is true if the current environment stores a word with the least significant byte first and the most significant byte second. This is called “little-endian” format. IsLittleEndian is false if the current environment stores a word with the most significant byte first and the least significant byte second. This is called “big-endian” format. Intel Pentium−based machines use little-endian format.