Getting the byte bits as string

Question

I want to the bits (0 or one) from a byte in a string but I don't know how? Thanks.

Solution 1

I bet there's a cleverer way to do this, but it works:

private string byteToBitsString(byte byteIn)
{
    char[] bits = new char[8];
    bits(0) = Convert.ToString((byteIn / 128) % 2);
    bits(1) = Convert.ToString((byteIn / 64) % 2);
    bits(2) = Convert.ToString((byteIn / 32) % 2);
    bits(3) = Convert.ToString((byteIn / 16) % 2);
    bits(4) = Convert.ToString((byteIn / 8) % 2);
    bits(5) = Convert.ToString((byteIn / 4) % 2);
    bits(6) = Convert.ToString((byteIn / 2) % 2);
    bits(7) = Convert.ToString((byteIn / 1) % 2);
    return bits;
}

Solution 2

Take a look at Convert.ToString(). You can use it both ways, for the conversion byte->bit-string and vice versa.

byte value = 56;
// There ...
string bits = Convert.ToString(value, 2);
// ...and Back Again
value = Convert.ToByte(bits, 2);

Solution 3

Here's clweek's re-written method, that actually works:
I have used StringBuilder class instead of char array.

Sample: byteToBitsString(157) prints "00101111"

private string byteToBitsString(byte byteIn)
    {
        var bitsString = new StringBuilder(8);

        bitsString.Append(Convert.ToString((byteIn / 128) % 2));
        bitsString.Append(Convert.ToString((byteIn / 64) % 2));
        bitsString.Append(Convert.ToString((byteIn / 32) % 2));
        bitsString.Append(Convert.ToString((byteIn / 16) % 2));
        bitsString.Append(Convert.ToString((byteIn / 8) % 2));
        bitsString.Append(Convert.ToString((byteIn / 4) % 2));
        bitsString.Append(Convert.ToString((byteIn / 2) % 2));
        bitsString.Append(Convert.ToString((byteIn / 1) % 2));

        return bitsString.ToString();
    }

Solution 4

Or the deluxe variant of the bit banging way to do it:

    public static string ToByteFormat(int valIn, int digits)
    {
        var bitsString = new StringBuilder(digits);
        int mask = (1 << digits - 1);
        for(int i = 0; i < digits; i++)
        {
            bitsString.Append((valIn & mask) != 0 ? "1" : "0");
            mask >>= 1;
        }
        return bitsString.ToString();
    }

View more solutions

Comments

[Edward Ned Harvey]

This answer should be the accepted answer. When given only a single argument, Convert.ToString(byte) returns a hex string, but when given the second argument, Convert.ToString(byte,int) can use base 2, 8, 10, or 16. Convert.ToString(56,2) returns "111000" but if you want all the bits, then Convert.ToString(56,2).PadLeft(8,'0') returns "00111000"

[Edward Ned Harvey]

See the other answer using Convert.ToString(value,2).PadLeft(8,'0') instead.

[clweeks]

Was mine bugged? I converted it from VB and don't use C# regularly, so there's room for dumb error, but what is it?

[Ivaylo Slavov]

This answer is actually almost working, it had the wrong braces in the code, as it was converted from VB and the author probably did not have much experience in C# to spot the error. I fixed it. Obviously, this answer is quoted here and the quote gets positive score, it is IMHO reasonable to give a chance to the original answer to shine as well.