Converting Base64 encoded String to String object

Question

Hi,
Description:
I have a Base64 encoded string and I am using this API for it,
[ http://ws.apache.org/axis/java/apiDocs/org/apache/axis/encoding/Base64.html]
I am simply trying to convert it to a String object.
Problem:
When I try and write the String, ( which is xml ) as a XMLType to a oracle 9i database I am getting a "Cannot map Unicode to Oracle character." The root problem is because of the conversion of the base64 encoded string to a String object. I noticed that some weird square characters show up at the start of the string after i convert it. It seems like I am not properly converting to a String object. If i change the value of the variable on the fly and delete these little characters at the start, I don't get the uni code error. Just looking for a second thought on this.
Code: Converting Base64 Encoded String to String object
public String decodeToString( String base64String )
    byte[] decodedByteArray = Base64.decode( base64String );
    String decodedString = new String( decodedByteArray, "UTF-8");
}Any suggestions?

Answer 1

To answer bigdaddy's question and clairfy a bit more:
Constraints:
1. Using a integrated 3rd party software that expects a Base64 encoded String and sends back a encoded base64 String.
2. Using JSF
3. Oracle 10g database and storing in a XMLType column.
Steps in process.
1. I submit my base64 encoded String to this 3rd party software.
2. The tool takes the encoded string and renders a output that works correctly. The XML can be modified dynamically using this tool.
3. I have a button that is binded to my jsf backing bean. When that button is clicked, the 3rd party tool sets a backing bean string value with the Base64 String representing the updated XML.
4. On the backend in my jsf backing bean, i attempt to decode it to string value to store in the oracle database as a XML type. Upon converting the byte[] array to a String, i get this conversion issue.
Possibly what is happen is that the tool is sending me a different encoding that is not UTF-8. I thought maybe there was a better way of doing the decoding that i wasn't looking at. I will proceed down that path and look at the possibility that the tool is sending back a different encoding then what it should. I was just looking for input on doing the byte[] decoding.
Thanks for the input though.
Edited by: haju on Apr 9, 2009 8:41 AM