How to Convert Varbinary to Byte Array in C#

Learn how to convert Varbinary data to a byte array in C# with examples and step-by-step guidance. Explore different methods for handling varbinary data in your C# applications.
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When working with databases, you might encounter situations where data is stored in varbinary format. Varbinary is a variable-length binary data type used to store binary data in databases such as SQL Server. In C, you may need to convert varbinary data to a byte array for further processing or manipulation. In this guide, we'll explore different methods to achieve this conversion.

Method 1: Using SqlDataReader

If you're retrieving varbinary data from a SQL Server database using SqlDataReader, you can directly read the varbinary column and convert it to a byte array. Here's an example:

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Method 2: Using BitConverter

If you have a varbinary value as a hexadecimal string, you can convert it to a byte array using the BitConverter class. Here's an example:

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Method 3: Using LINQ

You can also use LINQ to convert each character in the hexadecimal string to a byte. Here's an example:

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Choose the method that suits your scenario based on whether you are directly retrieving data from a database or working with a varbinary hexadecimal string. These examples provide you with the tools to handle varbinary data efficiently in your C applications.