Convert.ToChar Method in C#

The Convert.ToChar() method in C# converts a specified value to its equivalent Unicode character representation. This method accepts various data types including integers, bytes, strings, and other numeric types, and returns a char value.

Syntax

Following are the common overloads of the Convert.ToChar() method −

public static char ToChar(byte value)
public static char ToChar(int value)
public static char ToChar(string value)
public static char ToChar(object value)

Parameters

• value − The value to be converted to a Unicode character. This can be a numeric type, string, or object.

Return Value

Returns a Unicode character that is equivalent to the specified value.

Using Convert.ToChar() with Numeric Values

Example

using System;

public class Demo {
    public static void Main() {
        sbyte[] byteVal = { 92, 111, 115, 104 };
        char charVal;
        
        Console.WriteLine("Converting sbyte values to characters:");
        foreach (sbyte b in byteVal) {
            charVal = Convert.ToChar(b);
            Console.WriteLine("{0} converted to '{1}'", b, charVal);
        }
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Converting sbyte values to characters:
92 converted to ''
111 converted to 'o'
115 converted to 's'
104 converted to 'h'

Using Convert.ToChar() with Different Data Types

Example

using System;

public class Program {
    public static void Main() {
        // Converting int to char
        int intVal = 65;
        char charFromInt = Convert.ToChar(intVal);
        Console.WriteLine("Int {0} to char: '{1}'", intVal, charFromInt);
        
        // Converting string to char
        string strVal = "B";
        char charFromStr = Convert.ToChar(strVal);
        Console.WriteLine("String "{0}" to char: '{1}'", strVal, charFromStr);
        
        // Converting byte to char
        byte byteVal = 67;
        char charFromByte = Convert.ToChar(byteVal);
        Console.WriteLine("Byte {0} to char: '{1}'", byteVal, charFromByte);
        
        // Converting ushort to char
        ushort ushortVal = 68;
        char charFromUshort = Convert.ToChar(ushortVal);
        Console.WriteLine("Ushort {0} to char: '{1}'", ushortVal, charFromUshort);
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Int 65 to char: 'A'
String "B" to char: 'B'
Byte 67 to char: 'C'
Ushort 68 to char: 'D'

Converting ASCII Values to Characters

Example

using System;

public class ASCIIConverter {
    public static void Main() {
        int[] asciiValues = { 72, 101, 108, 108, 111 };
        
        Console.Write("ASCII values ");
        foreach (int ascii in asciiValues) {
            Console.Write(ascii + " ");
        }
        
        Console.Write("convert to: ");
        foreach (int ascii in asciiValues) {
            char character = Convert.ToChar(ascii);
            Console.Write(character);
        }
        Console.WriteLine();
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

ASCII values 72 101 108 108 111 convert to: Hello

Important Considerations

• The method throws OverflowException if the value is outside the range of a char (0 to 65535).

• When converting a string, it must contain exactly one character, otherwise ArgumentException is thrown.

• Negative values cannot be converted to char and will throw an OverflowException.

Conclusion

The Convert.ToChar() method provides a convenient way to convert numeric values and single-character strings to Unicode characters. It's particularly useful when working with ASCII values or when you need to convert between different numeric types and character representations in C#.