Converting byte array to string with correct encoding

Question

I have this bit of C# code that I have translated to VB using http://www.developerfusion.com/tools/convert/csharp-to-vb/ ``` private string DecodeToken (string token, string key) { byte [] buffer = new byte[0]; string decoded = ""; int i; if (Scramble (Convert.FromBase64String(token), key, ref buffer)) { for (i=0;i<buffer.Length;i++) { decoded += Convert.ToString((char)buffer[i]); } } return(decoded); } ``` Which, after a little modification, gives this: ``` Private Function DecodeToken(token As String, key As String) As String Dim buffer As Byte() Dim decoded As String = "" Dim index As Integer If Scramble(Convert.FromBase64String(token), key, buffer) Then For index = 0 To buffer.Length - 1 decoded += Convert.ToString(ChrW(buffer(index))) Next 'decoded = UTF8Encoding.ASCII.GetString(pbyBuffer) 'decoded = UnicodeEncoding.ASCII.GetString(pbyBuffer) 'decoded = ASCIIEncoding.ASCII.GetString(pbyBuffer) End If Return decoded End Function ``` Scramble just rearranges the array in a specific…

Accepted Answer

Quick answer

```
decoded += Convert.ToString((char)buffer[i]);
```

is equivalent to

```
decoded &= Convert.ToString(Chr(buffer[i]));
```

VB.Net stops you taking the hacky approach used in the c# code, a `Char` is Unicode so consists of two bytes.

This looks likes a better implementation of what you have.

```
Private Function DecodeToken(encodedToken As String, key As String) As String
    Dim scrambled = Convert.FromBase64String(encodedToken)
    Dim buffer As Byte()
    Dim index As Integer

If Not Scramble(scrambled, key, buffer) Then
        Return Nothing
    End If

Dim descrambled = new StringBuilder(buffer.Length);

For index = 0 To buffer.Length - 1
        descrambled.Append(Chr(buffer(index)))
    Next

Return descrambled.ToString()
End Function
```

Converting byte array to string with correct encoding

Solution

Problem