Base64ToString (String function)
This intrinsic function returns the unencoded value of a base-64 encoded string.
Base64toString is available as of version 7.2 of the Sirius Mods.
Base64toString syntax
%outStr = string:base64toString
Syntax Terms
- %outStr
- A string variable to receive the unencoded value of the method object string.
- string
- A Base64-encoded string value.
Exceptions
This intrinsic function can throw the following exceptions:
- InvalidBase64data
- If the method object string does not contain a properly encoded base64 value. The exception object indicates the position of the first invalid character in the method object string.
Usage Notes
- Base-64 encoding is useful for encoding strings that might contain
binary or other characters that could cause problems in certain contexts. For example, binary characters can be problematic when sent in e-mail.
Base-64 encoding is an alternative to hexadecimal encoding. Hexadecimal encoding has the advantage that it's simpler, but it has the disadvantage that it requires two bytes for every encoded byte. Base-64 encoding, because it uses more characters (64, as the name would suggest), only requires four bytes for every three encoded bytes.
- A complete explanation of base-64 encoding can be easily found on the
internet or in many software textbooks.
- The Base64toString function accepts both the standard base64 encoding
(where the encoded string is padded out to an even multiple of four bytes by adding trailing equals signs) and a non-standard encoding (where no trailing equals signs are added and the encoded string might not be an exact multiple of four bytes).
- The inverse of Base64toString is StringToBase64.
Examples
The following statement displays 'Sleeping Bear':
printText {'4pOFhZeJlYdAwoWBmQ==':base64toString}