BinaryReader.ReadChars() advancing position too far

[Sypher2]

I have a BinaryReader that I am parsing data with. There are two elements included in the data that are 6 bytes of ASCII (null-terminated).

Within the code I have:

For i = 0 to 10
   Dim tNum as integer = br.ReadInt32
   Dim tConn as byte = br.ReadByte
   Dim tLo as string = br.ReadChars(6)
   Dim tHi as string = br.ReadChars(6)
   Dim tImg as integer = br.ReadInt32
Next

This works for as long as the data is empty (zeros) and the BinaryReader's underlying stream position is advancing as it should. Once I hit an iteration with real data, the ReadChars will sometimes advance the stream 7 or 10 bytes instead of 6. Then the remaining iterations are off.

Does anyone know why this is happening? Is the null-terminator causing a problem? Why would the stream advance past the point I asked for?

Thanks.

 

[ThatRickGuy]

1 char = 2 bytes. So I would expect br.ReadChars(6) to read 12 bytes.

-Rick

VB.Net Forum forum796 forum855 ASP.NET Forum
I believe in killer coding ninja monkeys.

 

[Sypher2]

I figured it out.

I needed to create the BinaryReader with the correct encoding...

Dim br As New BinaryReader(stream, System.Text.Encoding.ASCII)

That gives one byte per char.