How to Efficiently Convert Between Byte Arrays and Hexadecimal Strings in .NET?

Efficiently Converting Byte Arrays and Hexadecimal Strings in .NET

Many programming tasks require converting between byte arrays and their hexadecimal string representations. .NET offers several methods, each with varying levels of efficiency depending on the .NET version.

Modern .NET (5 and later):

.NET 5 and later versions provide optimized built-in functions:

• Convert.ToHexString(): Converts a byte array directly into a hexadecimal string.
• Convert.FromHexString(): Converts a hexadecimal string into a byte array. These methods are generally the most efficient and recommended approach for newer .NET projects.

Older .NET Versions:

For older .NET frameworks, manual conversion is necessary. Here are a couple of common methods:

Method 1: StringBuilder approach (for hexadecimal string conversion):

<code class="language-csharp">public static string ByteArrayToHex(byte[] ba)
{
    StringBuilder hex = new StringBuilder(ba.Length * 2);
    foreach (byte b in ba)
        hex.AppendFormat("{0:x2}", b);
    return hex.ToString();
}</code>

Method 2: BitConverter approach (for hexadecimal string conversion):

<code class="language-csharp">public static string ByteArrayToHex(byte[] ba)
{
    return BitConverter.ToString(ba).Replace("-", "");
}</code>

Hexadecimal String to Byte Array Conversion:

<code class="language-csharp">public static byte[] HexStringToByteArray(string hex)
{
    int len = hex.Length;
    byte[] arr = new byte[len / 2];
    for (int i = 0; i < len; i += 2)
    {
        arr[i / 2] = Convert.ToByte(hex.Substring(i, 2), 16);
    }
    return arr;
}</code>

Performance Considerations:

While Substring and Convert.ToByte are generally efficient, the optimal method depends on the specific application. The built-in methods in .NET 5 offer the best performance balance. For older versions, profiling your code will help determine the fastest approach for your use case. Consider the trade-offs between performance and code readability when choosing a method.

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