Represent Int64 as a String in C#

The Int64 data type in C# represents a 64-bit signed integer that can hold values from -9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807. Converting an Int64 to a string is a common operation that can be accomplished using several methods, with ToString() being the most straightforward approach.

Syntax

The basic syntax for converting an Int64 to string using ToString() method −

long variable = value;
string result = variable.ToString();

You can also use format specifiers with ToString() −

string result = variable.ToString("format");

Using ToString() Method

The simplest way to convert an Int64 to string is using the ToString() method without any parameters −

using System;

class Demo {
    static void Main() {
        long val = 8766776;
        string result = val.ToString();
        Console.WriteLine("Long converted to string = " + result);
        Console.WriteLine("Type of result: " + result.GetType());
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Long converted to string = 8766776
Type of result: System.String

Using Format Specifiers

You can format the Int64 value while converting it to string using various format specifiers −

using System;

class Demo {
    static void Main() {
        long val = 1234567890;
        
        Console.WriteLine("Default: " + val.ToString());
        Console.WriteLine("With commas: " + val.ToString("N0"));
        Console.WriteLine("Currency: " + val.ToString("C"));
        Console.WriteLine("Hexadecimal: " + val.ToString("X"));
        Console.WriteLine("Fixed decimal: " + val.ToString("F2"));
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Default: 1234567890
With commas: 1,234,567,890
Currency: $1,234,567,890.00
Hexadecimal: 499602D2
Fixed decimal: 1234567890.00

Using Convert.ToString() Method

Another approach is to use the Convert.ToString() method, which provides additional options like specifying the base for conversion −

using System;

class Demo {
    static void Main() {
        long val = 255;
        
        Console.WriteLine("Decimal: " + Convert.ToString(val));
        Console.WriteLine("Binary: " + Convert.ToString(val, 2));
        Console.WriteLine("Octal: " + Convert.ToString(val, 8));
        Console.WriteLine("Hexadecimal: " + Convert.ToString(val, 16));
    }
}

The output of the above code is −

Decimal: 255
Binary: 11111111
Octal: 377
Hexadecimal: ff

Comparison of Methods

Conclusion

Converting Int64 to string in C# is straightforward using ToString() for basic conversion and formatting, or Convert.ToString() for base conversions. Choose the method based on your specific formatting or base conversion requirements.