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Convert Byte[] to String and Vice-versa

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🎭 The Great Byte[] vs. String Showdown in Java! 🎭​

Ever wondered how to juggle between byte[] and String in Java? Well, grab your popcorn 🍿 because this transformation trick is used in many scenarios, from IO operations to generating secure hashes! But beware... 🤨

⚠️ Unless absolutely necessary, DO NOT convert between String and byte[] willy-nilly! They serve different purposes—String is for text, byte[] is for binary data. Mixing them up can cause chaos! 😱

🎩 1. From byte[] to String - Magic Unleashed! ✨​

🏗️ 1.1. Using the String Constructor​

The simplest way to transform byte[] into String is by using the String constructor. Voilà! 🪄

byte[] bytes = "hello world".getBytes();
String s = new String(bytes);

This method is easy-peasy, but be careful! The default character encoding might betray you. 😏

🔥 1.2. Using Base64 - The Secret Agent Way 🕶️​

Since Java 8, Base64 came to the rescue! Base64 is your best friend when encoding binary data as text. If you want to safely send bytes over text-based protocols (like emails 📧 or JSON 📜), Base64 is your guy!

byte[] bytes = "hello world".getBytes();
String s = Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(bytes);

Now your byte array is disguised as a string! 🦸‍♂️

🚀 2. From String to byte[] - Reversing the Spell 🔄​

⚙️ 2.1. Using String.getBytes() - The Classic Move 🎭​

If you need to turn a String into byte[], Java's getBytes() method is your best bet.

String string = "howtodoinjava.com";
byte[] bytes = string.getBytes();

⚠️ Beware! This method uses the default charset of your system, which may not be what you expect! Specify a charset explicitly if needed. 🎯

🕵️ 2.2. Using Base64 - The Reverse Heist 🏴‍☠️​

If your string is Base64-encoded, you can decode it back into byte[] using:

String string = "howtodoinjava.com";
byte[] bytes = Base64.getDecoder().decode(string);

Oops! If string wasn’t actually encoded in Base64, this will explode 💥 with an exception! Handle with care. 🤖

🎯 3. Summary - The Grand Finale 🎬​

So, what did we learn today? 🤔

✅ Use String class when dealing with plain text.

✅ Use Base64 when dealing with binary data disguised as text.

✅ Be mindful of character encoding to avoid unexpected surprises. 🎭

Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 📩

🔥 Happy Learning & Keep Coding! 🚀