BinaryReader.ReadBytes(Int32) Method

Definition

Namespace:

System.IO

Assembly:

System.Runtime.dll

Source:

BinaryReader.cs

Reads the specified number of bytes from the current stream into a byte array and advances the current position by that number of bytes.

public:
 virtual cli::array <System::Byte> ^ ReadBytes(int count);

public virtual byte[] ReadBytes (int count);

abstract member ReadBytes : int -> byte[]
override this.ReadBytes : int -> byte[]

Public Overridable Function ReadBytes (count As Integer) As Byte()

Parameters

count

Int32

The number of bytes to read. This value must be 0 or a non-negative number or an exception will occur.

Returns

Byte[]

A byte array containing data read from the underlying stream. This might be less than the number of bytes requested if the end of the stream is reached.

Exceptions

ArgumentException

The number of decoded characters to read is greater than count. This can happen if a Unicode decoder returns fallback characters or a surrogate pair.

IOException

An I/O error occurred.

ObjectDisposedException

The stream is closed.

ArgumentOutOfRangeException

count is negative.

Examples

The following code example shows how to write binary data using memory as a backing store, and then verify that the data was written correctly.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
int main()
{
   const int arrayLength = 1000;
   
   // Create random data to write to the stream.
   array<Byte>^dataArray = gcnew array<Byte>(arrayLength);
   (gcnew Random)->NextBytes( dataArray );
   BinaryWriter^ binWriter = gcnew BinaryWriter( gcnew MemoryStream );
   
   // Write the data to the stream.
   Console::WriteLine(  "Writing the data." );
   binWriter->Write( dataArray );
   
   // Create the reader using the stream from the writer.
   BinaryReader^ binReader = gcnew BinaryReader( binWriter->BaseStream );
   
   // Set the stream position to the beginning of the stream.
   binReader->BaseStream->Position = 0;
   
   // Read and verify the data.
   array<Byte>^verifyArray = binReader->ReadBytes( arrayLength );
   if ( verifyArray->Length != arrayLength )
   {
      Console::WriteLine( "Error writing the data." );
      return  -1;
   }

   for ( int i = 0; i < arrayLength; i++ )
   {
      if ( verifyArray[ i ] != dataArray[ i ] )
      {
         Console::WriteLine( "Error writing the data." );
         return  -1;
      }

   }
   Console::WriteLine( "The data was written and verified." );
}

using System;
using System.IO;

class BinaryRW
{
    static void Main()
    {
        const int arrayLength = 1000;

        // Create random data to write to the stream.
        byte[] dataArray = new byte[arrayLength];
        new Random().NextBytes(dataArray);

        BinaryWriter binWriter = new BinaryWriter(new MemoryStream());

        // Write the data to the stream.
        Console.WriteLine("Writing the data.");
        binWriter.Write(dataArray);

        // Create the reader using the stream from the writer.
        BinaryReader binReader =
            new BinaryReader(binWriter.BaseStream);

        // Set Position to the beginning of the stream.
        binReader.BaseStream.Position = 0;

        // Read and verify the data.
        byte[] verifyArray = binReader.ReadBytes(arrayLength);
        if(verifyArray.Length != arrayLength)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Error writing the data.");
            return;
        }
        for(int i = 0; i < arrayLength; i++)
        {
            if(verifyArray[i] != dataArray[i])
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Error writing the data.");
                return;
            }
        }
        Console.WriteLine("The data was written and verified.");
    }
}

open System
open System.IO

let arrayLength = 1000

// Create random data to write to the stream.
let dataArray = Array.zeroCreate<byte> arrayLength
Random().NextBytes dataArray

let binWriter = new BinaryWriter(new MemoryStream())

// Write the data to the stream.ch
printfn "Writing the data."
binWriter.Write dataArray

// Create the reader using the stream from the writer.
let binReader = new BinaryReader(binWriter.BaseStream)

// Set Position to the beginning of the stream.
binReader.BaseStream.Position <- 0

// Read and verify the data.
let verifyArray = binReader.ReadBytes arrayLength
if verifyArray.Length <> arrayLength then
    printfn "Error writing the data."
else
    let mutable failed = false
    for i = 0 to arrayLength - 1 do
        if verifyArray[i] <> dataArray[i] then
            printfn "Error writing the data."
            failed <- true
    if not failed then
        printfn "The data was written and verified."

Imports System.IO

Public Class BinaryRW

    Shared Sub Main()
    
        Const upperBound As Integer = 1000

        ' Create random data to write to the stream.
        Dim dataArray(upperBound) As Byte
        Dim randomGenerator As New Random
        randomGenerator.NextBytes(dataArray)

        Dim binWriter As New BinaryWriter(New MemoryStream())

        ' Write the data to the stream.
        Console.WriteLine("Writing the data.")
        binWriter.Write(dataArray)

        ' Create the reader using the stream from the writer.
        Dim binReader As New BinaryReader(binWriter.BaseStream)

        ' Set the stream position to the beginning of the stream.
        binReader.BaseStream.Position = 0

        ' Read and verify the data.
        Dim verifyArray() As Byte = _
            binReader.ReadBytes(dataArray.Length)
        If verifyArray.Length <> dataArray.Length Then
            Console.WriteLine("Error writing the data.")
            Return
        End If
        For i As Integer = 0 To upperBound
            If verifyArray(i) <> dataArray(i) Then
                Console.WriteLine("Error writing the data.")
                Return
            End If
        Next i
        Console.WriteLine("The data was written and verified.")
    
    End Sub
End Class

This example reads the contents of a file and displays it to the console as dump text. The end of the file that is being read is detected when the length of the Byte array returned from ReadBytes is zero.

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;

public class DumpFileSample
{
    private static readonly int CHUNK_SIZE = 1024;
    public static void Main(String[] args)
    {
        if ((args.Length == 0) || !File.Exists(args[0]))
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Please provide an existing file name.");
        }
        else
        {
            using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(args[0], FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read))
            {
                using (BinaryReader br = new BinaryReader(fs, new ASCIIEncoding()))
                {
                    byte[] chunk;

                    chunk = br.ReadBytes(CHUNK_SIZE);
                    while(chunk.Length > 0)
                    {
                        DumpBytes(chunk, chunk.Length);
                        chunk = br.ReadBytes(CHUNK_SIZE);
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

    public static void DumpBytes(byte[] bdata, int len)
    {
        int i;
        int j = 0;
        char dchar;
        // 3 * 16 chars for hex display, 16 chars for text and 8 chars
        // for the 'gutter' int the middle.
        StringBuilder dumptext = new StringBuilder("        ", 16 * 4 + 8);
        for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
        {
            dumptext.Insert(j * 3, String.Format("{0:X2} ", (int)bdata[i]));
            dchar = (char)bdata[i];
            //' replace 'non-printable' chars with a '.'.
            if (Char.IsWhiteSpace(dchar) || Char.IsControl(dchar))
            {
                dchar = '.';
            }
            dumptext.Append(dchar);
            j++;
            if (j == 16)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(dumptext);
                dumptext.Length = 0;
                dumptext.Append("        ");
                j = 0;
            }
        }
        // display the remaining line
        if (j > 0)
        {
            for (i = j; i < 16; i++)
            {
                dumptext.Insert(j * 3, "   ");
            }
            Console.WriteLine(dumptext);
        }
    }
}

open System
open System.IO
open System.Text

let CHUNK_SIZE = 1024

let dumpBytes (bdata: byte[]) len =
    let mutable j = 0
    // 3 * 16 chars for hex display, 16 chars for text and 8 chars
    // for the 'gutter' int the middle.
    let dumptext = StringBuilder("        ", 16 * 4 + 8)
    for i = 0 to len - 1 do
        dumptext.Insert(j * 3, $"{int bdata[i]:X2} ") |> ignore
        let dchar = char bdata[i]
        //' replace 'non-printable' chars with a '.'.
        let dchar = 
            if Char.IsWhiteSpace dchar || Char.IsControl dchar then
                '.'
            else 
                dchar
        dumptext.Append dchar |> ignore
        j <- j + 1
        if j = 16 then
            printfn $"{dumptext}"
            dumptext.Length <- 0
            dumptext.Append "        " |> ignore
            j <- 0
    // display the remaining line
    if j > 0 then
        for i = j to 15 do
            dumptext.Insert(j * 3, "   ") |> ignore
        printfn $"{dumptext}"

[<EntryPoint>]
let main args =
    if args.Length = 0 || File.Exists args[0] |> not then
        printfn "Please provide an existing file name."
    else
        use fs = new FileStream(args[0], FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read)
        use br = new BinaryReader(fs, ASCIIEncoding())
        
        let mutable chunk = br.ReadBytes CHUNK_SIZE
        while chunk.Length > 0 do
            dumpBytes chunk chunk.Length
            chunk <- br.ReadBytes CHUNK_SIZE
    0

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Text

Module Module1
    Private ReadOnly CHUNK_SIZE As Integer = 1024
    Public Sub Main(args() As String)
        If ((args.Length = 0) OrElse Not File.Exists(args(0))) Then
            Console.WriteLine("Please provide an existing file name.")
        Else
            Using fs As FileStream = New FileStream(args(0), FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read)
                Using br As New BinaryReader(fs, New ASCIIEncoding())
                    Dim chunk(CHUNK_SIZE) As Byte
                    chunk = br.ReadBytes(CHUNK_SIZE)

                    While chunk.Length > 0
                        DumpBytes(chunk, chunk.Length)
                        chunk = br.ReadBytes(CHUNK_SIZE)
                    End While
                End Using
            End Using
        End If
    End Sub

    Public Sub DumpBytes(bdata() As Byte, len As Integer)
        Dim i As Integer
        Dim j As Integer = 0
        Dim dchar As Char
        ' 3 * 16 chars for hex display, 16 chars for text and 8 chars
        ' for the 'gutter' int the middle.
        Dim dumptext As New StringBuilder("        ", 16 * 4 + 8)
        For i = 0 To len - 1
            dumptext.Insert(j * 3, String.Format("{0:X2} ", CType(bdata(i), Integer)))
            dchar = Convert.ToChar(bdata(i))
            ' replace 'non-printable' chars with a '.'.
            If Char.IsWhiteSpace(dchar) Or Char.IsControl(dchar) Then
                dchar = "."
            End If
            dumptext.Append(dchar)
            j += 1
            If j = 16 Then
                Console.WriteLine(dumptext)
                dumptext.Length = 0
                dumptext.Append("        ")
                j = 0
            End If
        Next i
        ' display the remaining line
        If j > 0 Then
            ' add blank hex spots to align the 'gutter'.
            For i = j To 15
                dumptext.Insert(j * 3, "   ")
            Next i
            Console.WriteLine(dumptext)
        End If
    End Sub

End Module

Remarks

BinaryReader does not restore the file position after an unsuccessful read operation.

For a list of common I/O tasks, see Common I/O Tasks.

See also

• File and Stream I/O
• How to: Read Text from a File
• How to: Write Text to a File