Base64 encoding in SQL Server 2005 T-SQL

Question

I\'d like to write a T-SQL query where I encode a string as a Base64 string. Surprisingly, I can\'t find any native T-SQL functions for doing Base64 encoding. Does a nativ

Answer 1

I did a script to convert an existing hash encoded in base64 to decimal, it may be useful:

SELECT LOWER(SUBSTRING(CONVERT(NVARCHAR(42), CAST( [COLUMN_NAME] as XML ).value('.','varbinary(max)'), 1), 3, 40)) from TABLE

Answer 2

I loved @Slai's answer. I only had to make very minor modifications into the one-liners I was looking for. I thought I'd share what I ended up with in case it helps anyone else stumbling onto this page like I did:

DECLARE @Source VARCHAR(50) = '12345'
DECLARE @Encoded VARCHAR(500) = CONVERT(VARCHAR(500), (SELECT CONVERT(VARBINARY, @Source) FOR XML PATH(''), BINARY BASE64))
DECLARE @Decoded VARCHAR(500) = CONVERT(VARCHAR(500), CONVERT(XML, @Encoded).value('.','varbinary(max)'))
SELECT @Source AS [Source], @Encoded AS [Encoded], @Decoded AS [Decoded]

Answer 3

Pulling in things from all the answers above, here's what I came up with.

There are essentially two ways to do this:

;WITH TMP AS (
    SELECT CAST(N'' AS XML).value('xs:base64Binary(xs:hexBinary(sql:column("bin")))', 'VARCHAR(MAX)') as  Base64Encoding
    FROM 
    (
        SELECT TOP 10000 CAST(Words AS VARBINARY(MAX)) AS bin FROM TestData
    ) SRC
) 

SELECT *, CAST(CAST(N'' AS XML).value('xs:base64Binary(sql:column("Base64Encoding"))', 'VARBINARY(MAX)') AS NVARCHAR(MAX)) as ASCIIEncoding
FROM
(
    SELECT * FROM TMP
) SRC

And the second way

;WITH TMP AS 
(
    SELECT TOP 10000 CONVERT(VARCHAR(MAX), (SELECT CAST(Wordsas varbinary(max)) FOR XML PATH(''))) as BX
    FROM TestData
)

SELECT *, CONVERT(NVARCHAR(MAX), CONVERT(XML, BX).value('.','varbinary(max)'))
FROM TMP

When comparing performance, the first one has a subtree cost of 2.4414 and the second one has a subtree cost of 4.1538. Which means the first one is about twice as fast as the second one (which is expected, since it uses XML, which is notoriously slow).

Answer 4

Here is the code for the functions that will do the work

-- To Base64 string
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[fn_str_TO_BASE64]
(
    @STRING NVARCHAR(MAX)
)
RETURNS NVARCHAR(MAX)
AS
BEGIN
    RETURN (
        SELECT
            CAST(N'' AS XML).value(
                  'xs:base64Binary(xs:hexBinary(sql:column("bin")))'
                , 'NVARCHAR(MAX)'
            )   Base64Encoding
        FROM (
            SELECT CAST(@STRING AS VARBINARY(MAX)) AS bin
        ) AS bin_sql_server_temp
    )
END
GO

-- From Base64 string
CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[fn_str_FROM_BASE64]
(
    @BASE64_STRING NVARCHAR(MAX)
)
RETURNS NVARCHAR(MAX)
AS
BEGIN
    RETURN (
        SELECT 
            CAST(
                CAST(N'' AS XML).value('xs:base64Binary(sql:variable("@BASE64_STRING"))', 'VARBINARY(MAX)') 
            AS NVARCHAR(MAX)
            )   UTF8Encoding
    )
END

Example of usage:

DECLARE @CHAR NVARCHAR(256) = N'e.g., سلام جیران or В России'
SELECT [dbo].[fn_str_FROM_BASE64]([dbo].[fn_str_TO_BASE64](@CHAR)) as converted

Answer 5

No, there is no native function, this method has worked for me in the past: http://www.motobit.com/help/scptutl/sa306.htm
so has this method:
http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=554886

Answer 6

Here's a modification to mercurial's answer that uses the subquery on the decode as well, allowing the use of variables in both instances.

DECLARE
    @EncodeIn VARCHAR(100) = 'Test String In',
    @EncodeOut VARCHAR(500),
    @DecodeOut VARCHAR(200)    

SELECT @EncodeOut = 
    CAST(N'' AS XML).value(
          'xs:base64Binary(xs:hexBinary(sql:column("bin")))'
        , 'VARCHAR(MAX)'
    )
FROM (
    SELECT CAST(@EncodeIn AS VARBINARY(MAX)) AS bin
) AS bin_sql_server_temp;

PRINT @EncodeOut

SELECT @DecodeOut = 
CAST(
    CAST(N'' AS XML).value(
        'xs:base64Binary(sql:column("bin"))'
      , 'VARBINARY(MAX)'
    ) 
    AS VARCHAR(MAX)
) 
FROM (
    SELECT CAST(@EncodeOut AS VARCHAR(MAX)) AS bin
) AS bin_sql_server_temp;

PRINT @DecodeOut