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ImportByteArray[ba,"format"]

imports data in the specified format from a ByteArray object.

ImportByteArray[ba,elements]

imports the specified elements.

ImportByteArray[ba]

attempts to determine the format automatically.

Details
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Basic Examples  
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ImportByteArray   

Listing of Formats »

ImportByteArray[ba,"format"]

imports data in the specified format from a ByteArray object.

ImportByteArray[ba,elements]

imports the specified elements.

ImportByteArray[ba]

attempts to determine the format automatically.

Details

Examples

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Basic Examples  (1)

Export an image as a ByteArray object:

Wolfram Language code: bytes = ExportByteArray[[image], "PNG"]

Import the bytes to produce the original image:

Wolfram Language code: ImportByteArray[bytes]

Import an element from the bytes:

Wolfram Language code: ImportByteArray[bytes, "ImageSize"]

Scope  (2)

Export a typeset mathematical formula as a ByteArray object:

Wolfram Language code: formula = Integrate[Sqrt[x + Sqrt[x]], x] // TraditionalForm
Wolfram Language code: bytes = ExportByteArray[formula, "PDF"]

Import the bytes to produce a resolution-independent version of the formula:

Wolfram Language code: ImportByteArray[bytes][[1]]

Export a color map and corresponding raw data as a ByteArray object:

Wolfram Language code: {map, data} = Import["ExampleData/wave.gif", {{"ColorMap", "RawData"}}];
Wolfram Language code: bytes = ExportByteArray[{"ColorMap" -> map, "RawData" -> data}, {"GIF", "Rules"}]

Import the bytes to produce the original animated GIF image:

Wolfram Language code: ImportByteArray[bytes, "Animation"]

Import a color map and corresponding raw data from a ByteArray:

Wolfram Language code: {map, data} === ImportByteArray[bytes, {{"ColorMap", "RawData"}}]

Applications  (2)

Store an integer into a ByteArray:

Wolfram Language code: ExportByteArray[1234, "Integer64"]

Retrieve the number from the byte array:

Wolfram Language code: ImportByteArray[%, "Integer64"]

Store a big number into a "Base64" encoded ByteArray:

Wolfram Language code: ExportByteArray[ToString[2 ^ 1234, InputForm], "Base64"]

Retrieve the number from the byte array:

Wolfram Language code: ToExpression[ImportByteArray[%, "Base64"]]

Verify the result:

Wolfram Language code: % == 2 ^ 1234

Properties & Relations  (2)

ImportByteArray returns the same result as ByteArrayToString followed by ImportString:

Wolfram Language code: bytes = ExportByteArray[[image], "TIFF"];
Wolfram Language code: ImportByteArray[bytes] === ImportString[ByteArrayToString[bytes, "ISO8859-1"]]

Import can be viewed as a combination of ReadByteArray and ImportByteArray:

Wolfram Language code: file = Export[CreateFile[], [image], "JPEG"];
Wolfram Language code: Import[file, "JPEG"] === ImportByteArray[ReadByteArray[file], "JPEG"]

Possible Issues  (1)

A list of bytes is returned when ImportByteArray cannot automatically determine the format:

Wolfram Language code: ImportByteArray[ExportByteArray["aα", "Text"]]

Specify the format to get a string result:

Wolfram Language code: ImportByteArray[ExportByteArray["aα", "Text"], "Text"]
Wolfram Research (2017), ImportByteArray, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ImportByteArray.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2017), ImportByteArray, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ImportByteArray.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2017. "ImportByteArray." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ImportByteArray.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2017). ImportByteArray. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ImportByteArray.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_importbytearray, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ImportByteArray}", year="2017", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ImportByteArray.html}", note=[Accessed: 15-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_importbytearray, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ImportByteArray}, year={2017}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ImportByteArray.html}, note=[Accessed: 15-June-2026]}