[RESOLVED] Base64 problem

[foxter]

I've wasted whole day today trying to figure out whats wrong with this, yet no luck. I have a base64 encoded picture. It perfectly converts back into a picture file when I convert it with PHP, yet every attempt to convert it with VB6 returns me an picture with blank picture and correct file size. I've tested pretty much all suggestions here on forum and on PSC. Had a lot of fun testing though, tired.. but will give it another hour or so.

What I need is someone to test the base64 code on your machine, as I suspect that something is wrong on my end. I've successfully tested plain text conversions back and forth, but this picture file just drives me nutts

Here's the encoded for a test:

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

and here's what it should look after decoding. See if you can decode it back to real picture with VB6.


You can test PHP conversion here: http://www.mobilefish.com/services/base64/base64.php


Thank you all in advance

[foxter]

Forgot to mention, it does work with Crypt32.dll, but not with pure VB6 code:

Option Explicit
'egl1044
'WinXP or later
Private Const CRYPT_STRING_BASE64 As Long = &H1&

Private Declare Function CryptStringToBinaryW Lib "Crypt32.dll" ( _
  ByVal pszString As Long, _
  ByVal cchString As Long, _
  ByVal dwFlags As Long, _
  ByVal pbBinary As Long, _
  ByRef pcbBinary As Long, _
  ByVal pdwSkip As Long, _
  ByVal pdwFlags As Long) As Long

Public Function FromBase64String(ByVal data As String) As Byte()
  Dim Buffer() As Byte
  Dim dwBinaryBytes As Long
  dwBinaryBytes = LenB(data)
  ReDim Buffer(dwBinaryBytes - 1) As Byte
  If CryptStringToBinaryW(StrPtr(data), LenB(data), CRYPT_STRING_BASE64, _
    VarPtr(Buffer(0)), dwBinaryBytes, 0, 0) Then
    ReDim Preserve Buffer(dwBinaryBytes - 1) As Byte
    FromBase64String = Buffer
  End If
  Erase Buffer
End Function

Private Sub Command1_Click()
  Dim image() As Byte, iFile
  image() = FromBase64String(Text1.Text) 'sure.
'  Debug.Print StrConv(image, vbUnicode)
  
    iFile = FreeFile
    Open App.Path & "\test.jpg" For Binary As #iFile
    Put #iFile, 1, image
    Close #iFile
End Sub

What I'm trying is a pure VB6 code without any DLLs.

[dilettante]

What do you mean "without any DLLs???"

That's a system DLL, so there is little reason not to use it. A lot of the "pure VB" examples out there are horribly flawed, and besides they don't run as fast so why reinvent the wheel?

Anyway, here's one that ought to at least work properly. My guess is you were tripping over character sets.

The Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Absolutely, Positively Must Know About Unicode and Character Sets (No Excuses!)

[foxter]

Hmm, may be you right about char sets. I will use DLL for now.

[jmsrickland]

Private Sub cmdDecodeAPI_Click()
    With New WIA.Vector
        .BinaryData = CryptoBase64.Decode(txtBase64.Text)
        Set imgDecoded.Picture = .Picture
    End With
    txtBase64.SetFocus
End Sub

Private Sub cmdDecodeVB_Click()
    With New WIA.Vector
        .BinaryData = VBase64.Decode(StrConv(txtBase64.Text, vbFromUnicode))
        Set imgDecoded.Picture = .Picture
    End With
    txtBase64.SetFocus
End Sub

Where's the WIA.Vector?

[dilettante]

WIA 2.0 was a Microsoft add-on for VB6 and scripting that came out back around 2002. It requires XP (SP1 I think) and is included in Vista and beyond. This (and the short-lived original WIA) replaced the old Kodak Imaging library that was in Win9x.

Ahh, here's the XP download, they still have it!

Windows® Image Acquisition Automation Library v2.0 Tool: Image acquisition and manipulation component for VB and scripting

Tons of these kinds of things were produced between 1998 when VB6 came out and 2005 when they decided they were helping to keep VB6 alive. Then a few more came out when Vista was first released back around the end of 2006. Grab as many as you can, they could disappear any time!