Decode Base64 data in Java

Question

I have an image that is Base64 encoded. What is the best way to decode that in Java? Hopefully using only the libraries included with Sun Java 6.

Answer 1

No need to use commons--Sun ships a base64 encoder with Java. You can import it as such:

import sun.misc.BASE64Decoder;

And then use it like this:

BASE64Decoder decoder = new BASE64Decoder();
byte[] decodedBytes = decoder.decodeBuffer(encodedBytes);

Where encodedBytes is either a java.lang.String or a java.io.InputStream. Just beware that the sun.* classes are not "officially supported" by Sun.

EDIT: Who knew this would be the most controversial answer I'd ever post? I do know that sun.* packages are not supported or guaranteed to continue existing, and I do know about Commons and use it all the time. However, the poster asked for a class that that was "included with Sun Java 6," and that's what I was trying to answer. I agree that Commons is the best way to go in general.

EDIT 2: As amir75 points out below, Java 6+ ships with JAXB, which contains supported code to encode/decode Base64. Please see Jeremy Ross' answer below.

Answer 2

Here's my own implementation, if it could be useful to someone :

public class Base64Coder {

    // The line separator string of the operating system.
    private static final String systemLineSeparator = System.getProperty("line.separator");

    // Mapping table from 6-bit nibbles to Base64 characters.
    private static final char[] map1 = new char[64];
       static {
          int i=0;
          for (char c='A'; c<='Z'; c++) map1[i++] = c;
          for (char c='a'; c<='z'; c++) map1[i++] = c;
          for (char c='0'; c<='9'; c++) map1[i++] = c;
          map1[i++] = '+'; map1[i++] = '/'; }

    // Mapping table from Base64 characters to 6-bit nibbles.
    private static final byte[] map2 = new byte[128];
       static {
          for (int i=0; i<map2.length; i++) map2[i] = -1;
          for (int i=0; i<64; i++) map2[map1[i]] = (byte)i; }

    /**
    * Encodes a string into Base64 format.
    * No blanks or line breaks are inserted.
    * @param s  A String to be encoded.
    * @return   A String containing the Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static String encodeString (String s) {
       return new String(encode(s.getBytes())); }

    /**
    * Encodes a byte array into Base 64 format and breaks the output into lines of 76 characters.
    * This method is compatible with <code>sun.misc.BASE64Encoder.encodeBuffer(byte[])</code>.
    * @param in  An array containing the data bytes to be encoded.
    * @return    A String containing the Base64 encoded data, broken into lines.
    */
    public static String encodeLines (byte[] in) {
       return encodeLines(in, 0, in.length, 76, systemLineSeparator); }

    /**
    * Encodes a byte array into Base 64 format and breaks the output into lines.
    * @param in            An array containing the data bytes to be encoded.
    * @param iOff          Offset of the first byte in <code>in</code> to be processed.
    * @param iLen          Number of bytes to be processed in <code>in</code>, starting at <code>iOff</code>.
    * @param lineLen       Line length for the output data. Should be a multiple of 4.
    * @param lineSeparator The line separator to be used to separate the output lines.
    * @return              A String containing the Base64 encoded data, broken into lines.
    */
    public static String encodeLines (byte[] in, int iOff, int iLen, int lineLen, String lineSeparator) {
       int blockLen = (lineLen*3) / 4;
       if (blockLen <= 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException();
       int lines = (iLen+blockLen-1) / blockLen;
       int bufLen = ((iLen+2)/3)*4 + lines*lineSeparator.length();
       StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder(bufLen);
       int ip = 0;
       while (ip < iLen) {
          int l = Math.min(iLen-ip, blockLen);
          buf.append (encode(in, iOff+ip, l));
          buf.append (lineSeparator);
          ip += l; }
       return buf.toString(); }

    /**
    * Encodes a byte array into Base64 format.
    * No blanks or line breaks are inserted in the output.
    * @param in  An array containing the data bytes to be encoded.
    * @return    A character array containing the Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static char[] encode (byte[] in) {
       return encode(in, 0, in.length); }

    /**
    * Encodes a byte array into Base64 format.
    * No blanks or line breaks are inserted in the output.
    * @param in    An array containing the data bytes to be encoded.
    * @param iLen  Number of bytes to process in <code>in</code>.
    * @return      A character array containing the Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static char[] encode (byte[] in, int iLen) {
       return encode(in, 0, iLen); }

    /**
    * Encodes a byte array into Base64 format.
    * No blanks or line breaks are inserted in the output.
    * @param in    An array containing the data bytes to be encoded.
    * @param iOff  Offset of the first byte in <code>in</code> to be processed.
    * @param iLen  Number of bytes to process in <code>in</code>, starting at <code>iOff</code>.
    * @return      A character array containing the Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static char[] encode (byte[] in, int iOff, int iLen) {
       int oDataLen = (iLen*4+2)/3;       // output length without padding
       int oLen = ((iLen+2)/3)*4;         // output length including padding
       char[] out = new char[oLen];
       int ip = iOff;
       int iEnd = iOff + iLen;
       int op = 0;
       while (ip < iEnd) {
          int i0 = in[ip++] & 0xff;
          int i1 = ip < iEnd ? in[ip++] & 0xff : 0;
          int i2 = ip < iEnd ? in[ip++] & 0xff : 0;
          int o0 = i0 >>> 2;
          int o1 = ((i0 &   3) << 4) | (i1 >>> 4);
          int o2 = ((i1 & 0xf) << 2) | (i2 >>> 6);
          int o3 = i2 & 0x3F;
          out[op++] = map1[o0];
          out[op++] = map1[o1];
          out[op] = op < oDataLen ? map1[o2] : '='; op++;
          out[op] = op < oDataLen ? map1[o3] : '='; op++; }
       return out; }

    /**
    * Decodes a string from Base64 format.
    * No blanks or line breaks are allowed within the Base64 encoded input data.
    * @param s  A Base64 String to be decoded.
    * @return   A String containing the decoded data.
    * @throws   IllegalArgumentException If the input is not valid Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static String decodeString (String s) {
       return new String(decode(s)); }

    /**
    * Decodes a byte array from Base64 format and ignores line separators, tabs and blanks.
    * CR, LF, Tab and Space characters are ignored in the input data.
    * This method is compatible with <code>sun.misc.BASE64Decoder.decodeBuffer(String)</code>.
    * @param s  A Base64 String to be decoded.
    * @return   An array containing the decoded data bytes.
    * @throws   IllegalArgumentException If the input is not valid Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static byte[] decodeLines (String s) {
       char[] buf = new char[s.length()];
       int p = 0;
       for (int ip = 0; ip < s.length(); ip++) {
          char c = s.charAt(ip);
          if (c != ' ' && c != '\r' && c != '\n' && c != '\t')
             buf[p++] = c; }
       return decode(buf, 0, p); }

    /**
    * Decodes a byte array from Base64 format.
    * No blanks or line breaks are allowed within the Base64 encoded input data.
    * @param s  A Base64 String to be decoded.
    * @return   An array containing the decoded data bytes.
    * @throws   IllegalArgumentException If the input is not valid Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static byte[] decode (String s) {
       return decode(s.toCharArray()); }

    /**
    * Decodes a byte array from Base64 format.
    * No blanks or line breaks are allowed within the Base64 encoded input data.
    * @param in  A character array containing the Base64 encoded data.
    * @return    An array containing the decoded data bytes.
    * @throws    IllegalArgumentException If the input is not valid Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static byte[] decode (char[] in) {
       return decode(in, 0, in.length); }

    /**
    * Decodes a byte array from Base64 format.
    * No blanks or line breaks are allowed within the Base64 encoded input data.
    * @param in    A character array containing the Base64 encoded data.
    * @param iOff  Offset of the first character in <code>in</code> to be processed.
    * @param iLen  Number of characters to process in <code>in</code>, starting at <code>iOff</code>.
    * @return      An array containing the decoded data bytes.
    * @throws      IllegalArgumentException If the input is not valid Base64 encoded data.
    */
    public static byte[] decode (char[] in, int iOff, int iLen) {
       if (iLen%4 != 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException ("Length of Base64 encoded input string is not a multiple of 4.");
       while (iLen > 0 && in[iOff+iLen-1] == '=') iLen--;
       int oLen = (iLen*3) / 4;
       byte[] out = new byte[oLen];
       int ip = iOff;
       int iEnd = iOff + iLen;
       int op = 0;
       while (ip < iEnd) {
          int i0 = in[ip++];
          int i1 = in[ip++];
          int i2 = ip < iEnd ? in[ip++] : 'A';
          int i3 = ip < iEnd ? in[ip++] : 'A';
          if (i0 > 127 || i1 > 127 || i2 > 127 || i3 > 127)
             throw new IllegalArgumentException ("Illegal character in Base64 encoded data.");
          int b0 = map2[i0];
          int b1 = map2[i1];
          int b2 = map2[i2];
          int b3 = map2[i3];
          if (b0 < 0 || b1 < 0 || b2 < 0 || b3 < 0)
             throw new IllegalArgumentException ("Illegal character in Base64 encoded data.");
          int o0 = ( b0       <<2) | (b1>>>4);
          int o1 = ((b1 & 0xf)<<4) | (b2>>>2);
          int o2 = ((b2 &   3)<<6) |  b3;
          out[op++] = (byte)o0;
          if (op<oLen) out[op++] = (byte)o1;
          if (op<oLen) out[op++] = (byte)o2; }
       return out; }

    // Dummy constructor.
    private Base64Coder() {}
}