SimpleBase

The Base32 class in the SimpleBase namespace provides various methods to encode binary data or numbers into Base32 strings and decode them back. It supports multiple encoding flavors (alphabets) through static properties and allows for custom alphabets via constructors.

Common tasks include:

• Encoding byte spans or long/ulong numbers into strings.
• Decoding Base32 strings back into byte arrays.
• Stream-based encoding and decoding for large datasets.
• Non-allocating operations using TryEncode and TryDecode with Span<T> for high performance.

// Example: Encoding bytes to a string using RFC 4648
byte[] data = { 0x01, 0x02, 0x03 };
string encoded = Base32.Rfc4648.Encode(data);

// Example: Decoding a string back to bytes
byte[] decoded = Base32.Rfc4648.Decode(encoded);

The Base256Emoji class in the SimpleBase namespace provides Base256 encoding using variable-length emojis. It implements IBaseCoder and INonAllocatingBaseCoder.

Important Note: Because emojis can consist of one or more UTF-16 code points (chars), the encoded string length may not have a 1:1 relationship with the number of bytes. When processing encoded strings, be aware that a single emoji might occupy multiple char positions.

The Base85IPv6 class provides a Base85 implementation specifically extended with functions to encode and decode IPv6 addresses using the RFC 1924 standard.

Warning: The author notes that RFC 1924 is an early proposal that uses special characters (potentially causing security or UX issues), offers marginal length gains compared to standard IPv6 zero elimination, and is computationally slower due to its division-based algorithm. This implementation should primarily be used to support obscure standards or legacy code.

// Example of initializing Base85IPv6 with an alphabet
var coder = new Base85IPv6(Base85Alphabet.Rfc1924);

The CodingAlphabet abstract class serves as a basis for implementing custom alphabets for different encoding algorithms. If you want to implement your own encoding based on existing SimpleBase base classes, you should inherit from CodingAlphabet and define your specific character set.

Key properties available to subclasses:

• Length: The number of characters in the alphabet.
• Value: The string representation of the alphabet characters.

public abstract class CodingAlphabet : ICodingAlphabet

SimpleBase provides several static properties for common Base58 alphabets and algorithms used in different protocols:

• Base58.Bitcoin: The Bitcoin flavor.
• Base58.Ripple: The Ripple flavor.
• Base58.Flickr: The Flickr flavor.
• Base58.Monero: The Monero flavor (Note: This uses a different algorithm; see MoneroBase58 documentation).

You can access these directly via the Base58 class to ensure compatibility with specific blockchain or protocol requirements.

// Accessing specific protocol flavors
var bitcoinCoder = Base58.Bitcoin;
var rippleCoder = Base58.Ripple;
var moneroCoder = Base58.Monero;

The Base16 class provides tools for encoding bytes into Base16 (hexadecimal) text and decoding Base16 text back into bytes. It supports different casing styles through static properties and allows for custom alphabets via its constructor.

Decoding is case-insensitive across all variants.

using SimpleBase;

// Using predefined encoders
var upper = Base16.UpperCase;
var lower = Base16.LowerCase;
var modHex = Base16.ModHex;

// Encoding bytes to string
string encoded = Base16.UpperCase.Encode(new byte[] { 0x48, 0x65, 0x6c, 0x6c, 0x6f });

// Decoding string to bytes
Span<byte> decoded = Base16.UpperCase.Decode("48656C6C6F");

The DividingCoder<TAlphabet> is an abstract base class in the SimpleBase namespace designed for implementing dividing encoding/decoding algorithms. It is intended to be inherited by specific dividing encoders. The length of the provided TAlphabet is used as the divisor for the encoding process.

Note: This class is not used by Base58, as Base58 handles zero-prefixes differently than other dividing encodings.

public abstract class DividingCoder<TAlphabet> : IBaseCoder, INonAllocatingBaseCoder

To use SimpleBase in your .NET project, install it using the NuGet package manager.

For modern .NET projects, use the latest version: Install-Package SimpleBase

If you are targeting older environments that require .NET Standard 2.0 compatibility (such as older .NET Framework or .NET Core versions), use the 2.x release line: Install-Package SimpleBase -MaximumVersion 2.999.0

SimpleBase provides a simple API for encoding byte buffers into various base encodings and decoding them back. Each encoding type (e.g., Base32, Base58) exposes specific 'flavors' (e.g., Crockford, Bitcoin) that implement different character sets or rules.

Encoding

To encode a byte[] into a string, use the .Encode() method on the desired encoding flavor. Some encodings support a padding option.

Decoding

To decode a string back into a byte[], use the .Decode() method on the corresponding encoding flavor.

using SimpleBase;

byte[] myBuffer = ...;
// Encoding to Base32 Crockford with padding
string result = Base32.Crockford.Encode(myBuffer, padding: true);

// Decoding back to bytes
string myText = result;
byte[] decoded = Base32.Crockford.Decode(myText);