Converting Binary Data to Hexadecimal Strings in T-SQL: Two Easy Methods
Printing Binary Values as Hexadecimal in T-SQL
fn_varbintohexstr
: This function specifically converts varbinary(n) or binary(n) data types to a hexadecimal string.CONVERT
with base 16: This function offers more flexibility as it can convert various data types, including binary, to hexadecimal strings.
Here's a breakdown of each approach with examples:
Using fn_varbintohexstr:
This function directly takes the binary data as input and returns the corresponding hexadecimal string.
DECLARE @binaryData VARBINARY(5) = 0x0102030405;
SELECT fn_varbintohexstr(@binaryData) AS HexValue;
-- Output: 0102030405
Using CONVERT with base 16:
The CONVERT
function allows you to specify the target base for conversion. In this case, we use base 16 for hexadecimal.
DECLARE @binaryData VARBINARY(5) = 0x0102030405;
SELECT CONVERT(CHAR(10), @binaryData, 16) AS HexValue;
-- Output: 0102030405
Explanation of the examples:
- We declare a variable
@binaryData
of typeVARBINARY(5)
to store a sample binary value. CONVERT
: We convert the binary data to aCHAR(10)
string with base 16, resulting in the hexadecimal representation.
Related Issues and Solutions:
- Empty binary data: Both functions return an empty string if the input binary data is empty.
- Fixed vs. variable length:
fn_varbintohexstr
is designed for variable-length binary data (VARBINARY(n)
). If you have fixed-length binary data (BINARY(n)
), you can either cast it toVARBINARY(n)
before using the function or pad the binary data to ensure a consistent length.
sql-server t-sql