Question

I am converting code that works in Java but not in C#

byte[] buffer = new byte[64];
this.buffer[((int)this.count & 0x3F)] = -128;

This generates a compile time error “Constant value ‘-128’ cannot be converted to a ‘byte’.” How can I store a negative number for a byte?

Answer 1

The byte data type in Java is signed (-128–127). The equivalent data type in C# is sbyte.

So the equivalent C# code is as follows:

sbyte[] buffer = new sbyte[64];
buffer[..] = -128;

If you want an array of unsigned bytes (0–255), the byte with the same bit pattern as the sbyte -128 is 128 (0x80).

byte[] buffer = new byte[64];
buffer[..] = 128;

See also: Integral Types Table (C# Reference)