How to decode the image which is a base64 string, in Dart?

Question

I tried to get the image from clipboard when I press ctrl+v on a page, with the code from a gist, which will console.log the image content it gets.

I found the image content is a long base64 string with a special prefix:

data:image/png;base64,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

How to decode it to binary? I tried to remove the prefix data:image/png;base64, and use a base64 library to decode the rest into binary, and save it to a image.png file. But the file can't be displayed, with invalid format error.

But if I paste the whole string to http://base64online.org/decode/, it can play the image as well.

The base64 library I used is https://github.com/wstrange/base64, and my code is:

import 'package:base64_codec/base64_codec.dart';

var body = /* the long str above */;

var prefix = "data:image/png;base64,";
var bStr = body.substring(prefix.length);
var bs = Base64Codec.codec.decodeList(bStr.codeUnits);
var file = new File("image.png");
file.writeAsBytesSync(bs);

I don't know where is wrong :(

score 4 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

Try using the crypto package from the Dart SDK. This creates an image.png that opens fine (I believe it's this image... enter image description here )

library foo;

import 'package:crypto/crypto.dart';
import 'dart:io';

void main() {

  var body = "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUh... snip"; 
  var prefix = "data:image/png;base64,";
  var bStr = body.substring(prefix.length);
  var bytes = CryptoUtils.base64StringToBytes(bStr); // using CryptoUtils from Dart SDK
  var file = new File("image.png");
  file.writeAsBytesSync(bytes);
}

You'll need to add crypto to your pubspec.yaml :

dependencies:
  crypto: any

The library linked at https://github.com/wstrange/base64, also notes in the README:

Deprecated

Note: The Dart SDK now includes a Base64 codec with url safe options. Unless you need streaming support, you should use the SDK methods as they are slightly faster.

See CryptoUtils

See also How to native convert string -> base64 and base64 -> string

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 17 '13 at 14:27

4

Decoding as a string and then writing the bytes works:

var prefix = "data:image/png;base64,";
var bStr = body.substring(prefix.length);
var bs = Base64Codec.codec.decodeString(bStr);
var file = new File("image.png");
file.writeAsBytesSync(bs.codeUnits);

answered Jul 17 '13 at 14:27

Pixel Elephant

20,649
9
66
83

Thank you, it works and I know where is my mistake now. But since Chris's answer is a better solution, so I accept his. Thanks again ~ – Freewind Jul 17 '13 at 16:07
just a small correction `body.substring(prefix.length)` would be `body.substring(prefix.length+1)` – sh0umik Sep 23 '19 at 16:07

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered May 05 '20 at 10:49

1

The easiest approach is:

import 'dart:convert';

final result = base64Decode(stringValue);

answered May 05 '20 at 10:49

Andrey Gordeev

30,606
13
135
162

1

yep, and if you want to show the image right away in Flutter you may simply write: `Image.memory(result)` and you're good. – Kirill Karmazin Dec 03 '20 at 10:45

How to decode the image which is a base64 string, in Dart?

3 Answers3