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System.Boolean struct

This article provides supplementary remarks to the reference documentation for this API.

A Boolean instance can have either of two values: true or false.

The Boolean structure provides methods that support the following tasks:

This article explains these tasks and other usage details.

Format Boolean values

The string representation of a Boolean is either "True" for a true value or "False" for a false value. The string representation of a Boolean value is defined by the read-only TrueString and FalseString fields.

You use the ToString method to convert Boolean values to strings. The Boolean structure includes two ToString overloads: the parameterless ToString() method and the ToString(IFormatProvider) method, which includes a parameter that controls formatting. However, because this parameter is ignored, the two overloads produce identical strings. The ToString(IFormatProvider) method does not support culture-sensitive formatting.

The following example illustrates formatting with the ToString method. Note that the C# and VB examples use the composite formatting feature, while the F# example uses string interpolation. In both cases the ToString method is called implicitly.

using System;

public class Example10
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      bool raining = false;
      bool busLate = true;

      Console.WriteLine("It is raining: {0}", raining);
      Console.WriteLine("The bus is late: {0}", busLate);
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       It is raining: False
//       The bus is late: True
let raining = false
let busLate = true

printfn $"It is raining: {raining}"
printfn $"The bus is late: {busLate}"

// The example displays the following output:
//       It is raining: False
//       The bus is late: True
Module Example9
    Public Sub Main()
        Dim raining As Boolean = False
        Dim busLate As Boolean = True

        Console.WriteLine("It is raining: {0}", raining)
        Console.WriteLine("The bus is late: {0}", busLate)
    End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       It is raining: False
'       The bus is late: True

Because the Boolean structure can have only two values, it is easy to add custom formatting. For simple custom formatting in which other string literals are substituted for "True" and "False", you can use any conditional evaluation feature supported by your language, such as the conditional operator in C# or the If operator in Visual Basic. The following example uses this technique to format Boolean values as "Yes" and "No" rather than "True" and "False".

using System;

public class Example11
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        bool raining = false;
        bool busLate = true;

        Console.WriteLine("It is raining: {0}",
                          raining ? "Yes" : "No");
        Console.WriteLine("The bus is late: {0}",
                          busLate ? "Yes" : "No");
    }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       It is raining: No
//       The bus is late: Yes
Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim raining As Boolean = False
      Dim busLate As Boolean = True

      Console.WriteLine("It is raining: {0}", 
                        If(raining, "Yes", "No"))
      Console.WriteLine("The bus is late: {0}", 
                        If(busLate, "Yes", "No"))
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       It is raining: No
'       The bus is late: Yes
let raining = false
let busLate = true

printfn $"""It is raining: %s{if raining then "Yes" else "No"}"""
printfn $"""The bus is late: %s{if busLate then "Yes" else "No"}"""

// The example displays the following output:
//       It is raining: No
//       The bus is late: Yes

For more complex custom formatting operations, including culture-sensitive formatting, you can call the String.Format(IFormatProvider, String, Object[]) method and provide an ICustomFormatter implementation. The following example implements the ICustomFormatter and IFormatProvider interfaces to provide culture-sensitive Boolean strings for the English (United States), French (France), and Russian (Russia) cultures.

using System;
using System.Globalization;

public class Example4
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      String[] cultureNames = { "", "en-US", "fr-FR", "ru-RU" };
      foreach (var cultureName in cultureNames) {
         bool value = true;
         CultureInfo culture = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture(cultureName);
         BooleanFormatter formatter = new BooleanFormatter(culture);

         string result = string.Format(formatter, "Value for '{0}': {1}", culture.Name, value);
         Console.WriteLine(result);
      }
   }
}

public class BooleanFormatter : ICustomFormatter, IFormatProvider
{
   private CultureInfo culture;

   public BooleanFormatter() : this(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture)
   { }

   public BooleanFormatter(CultureInfo culture)
   {
      this.culture = culture;
   }

   public Object GetFormat(Type formatType)
   {
      if (formatType == typeof(ICustomFormatter))
         return this;
      else
         return null;
   }

   public string Format(string fmt, Object arg, IFormatProvider formatProvider)
   {
      // Exit if another format provider is used.
      if (! formatProvider.Equals(this)) return null;

      // Exit if the type to be formatted is not a Boolean
      if (! (arg is Boolean)) return null;

      bool value = (bool) arg;
      switch (culture.Name) {
         case "en-US":
            return value.ToString();
         case "fr-FR":
            if (value)
               return "vrai";
            else
               return "faux";
         case "ru-RU":
            if (value)
               return "верно";
            else
               return "неверно";
         default:
            return value.ToString();
      }
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Value for '': True
//       Value for 'en-US': True
//       Value for 'fr-FR': vrai
//       Value for 'ru-RU': верно
open System
open System.Globalization

type BooleanFormatter(culture) =
    interface ICustomFormatter with
        member this.Format(_, arg, formatProvider) =
            if formatProvider <> this then null
            else
                match arg with
                | :? bool as value -> 
                    match culture.Name with 
                    | "en-US" -> string arg
                    | "fr-FR" when value -> "vrai"
                    | "fr-FR" -> "faux"
                    | "ru-RU" when value -> "верно"
                    | "ru-RU" -> "неверно"
                    | _ -> string arg
                | _ -> null
    interface IFormatProvider with
        member this.GetFormat(formatType) =
            if formatType = typeof<ICustomFormatter> then this
            else null
    new() = BooleanFormatter CultureInfo.CurrentCulture

let cultureNames = [ ""; "en-US"; "fr-FR"; "ru-RU" ]
for cultureName in cultureNames do
    let value = true
    let culture = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture cultureName 
    let formatter = BooleanFormatter culture

    String.Format(formatter, "Value for '{0}': {1}", culture.Name, value)
    |> printfn "%s"

// The example displays the following output:
//       Value for '': True
//       Value for 'en-US': True
//       Value for 'fr-FR': vrai
//       Value for 'ru-RU': верно
Imports System.Globalization

Module Example4
    Public Sub Main()
        Dim cultureNames() As String = {"", "en-US", "fr-FR", "ru-RU"}
        For Each cultureName In cultureNames
            Dim value As Boolean = True
            Dim culture As CultureInfo = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture(cultureName)
            Dim formatter As New BooleanFormatter(culture)

            Dim result As String = String.Format(formatter, "Value for '{0}': {1}", culture.Name, value)
            Console.WriteLine(result)
        Next
    End Sub
End Module

Public Class BooleanFormatter 
   Implements ICustomFormatter, IFormatProvider
   
   Private culture As CultureInfo
   
   Public Sub New()
      Me.New(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture)
   End Sub
   
   Public Sub New(culture As CultureInfo)
      Me.culture = culture 
   End Sub
   
   Public Function GetFormat(formatType As Type) As Object _
                   Implements IFormatProvider.GetFormat
      If formatType Is GetType(ICustomFormatter) Then
         Return Me
      Else
         Return Nothing
      End If                
   End Function
   
   Public Function Format(fmt As String, arg As Object, 
                          formatProvider As IFormatProvider) As String _
                   Implements ICustomFormatter.Format
      ' Exit if another format provider is used.
      If Not formatProvider.Equals(Me) Then Return Nothing
      
      ' Exit if the type to be formatted is not a Boolean
      If Not TypeOf arg Is Boolean Then Return Nothing
      
      Dim value As Boolean = CBool(arg)
      Select culture.Name
         Case "en-US"
            Return value.ToString()
         Case "fr-FR"
            If value Then
               Return "vrai"
            Else
               Return "faux"
            End If      
         Case "ru-RU"
            If value Then
               Return "верно"
            Else
               Return "неверно"
            End If   
         Case Else
            Return value.ToString()  
      End Select
   End Function
End Class
' The example displays the following output:
'          Value for '': True
'          Value for 'en-US': True
'          Value for 'fr-FR': vrai
'          Value for 'ru-RU': верно

Optionally, you can use resource files to define culture-specific Boolean strings.

Convert to and from Boolean values

The Boolean structure implements the IConvertible interface. As a result, you can use the Convert class to perform conversions between a Boolean value and any other primitive type in .NET, or you can call the Boolean structure's explicit implementations. However, conversions between a Boolean and the following types are not supported, so the corresponding conversion methods throw an InvalidCastException exception:

All conversions from integral or floating-point numbers to Boolean values convert non-zero values to true and zero values to false. The following example illustrates this by calling selected overloads of the Convert.ToBoolean class.

using System;

public class Example2
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      Byte byteValue = 12;
      Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(byteValue));
      Byte byteValue2 = 0;
      Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(byteValue2));
      int intValue = -16345;
      Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(intValue));
      long longValue = 945;
      Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(longValue));
      SByte sbyteValue = -12;
      Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(sbyteValue));
      double dblValue = 0;
      Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(dblValue));
      float sngValue = .0001f;
      Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(sngValue));
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       True
//       False
//       True
//       True
//       True
//       False
//       True
open System

let byteValue = 12uy
printfn $"{Convert.ToBoolean byteValue}"
let byteValue2 = 0uy
printfn $"{Convert.ToBoolean byteValue2}"
let intValue = -16345
printfn $"{Convert.ToBoolean intValue}"
let longValue = 945L
printfn $"{Convert.ToBoolean longValue}"
let sbyteValue = -12y
printfn $"{Convert.ToBoolean sbyteValue}"
let dblValue = 0.0
printfn $"{Convert.ToBoolean dblValue}"
let sngValue = 0.0001f
printfn $"{Convert.ToBoolean sngValue}"

// The example displays the following output:
//       True
//       False
//       True
//       True
//       True
//       False
//       True
Module Example2
    Public Sub Main()
        Dim byteValue As Byte = 12
        Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(byteValue))
        Dim byteValue2 As Byte = 0
        Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(byteValue2))
        Dim intValue As Integer = -16345
        Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(intValue))
        Dim longValue As Long = 945
        Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(longValue))
        Dim sbyteValue As SByte = -12
        Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(sbyteValue))
        Dim dblValue As Double = 0
        Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(dblValue))
        Dim sngValue As Single = 0.0001
        Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToBoolean(sngValue))
    End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       True
'       False
'       True
'       True
'       True
'       False
'       True

When converting from Boolean to numeric values, the conversion methods of the Convert class convert true to 1 and false to 0. However, Visual Basic conversion functions convert true to either 255 (for conversions to Byte values) or -1 (for all other numeric conversions). The following example converts true to numeric values by using a Convert method, and, in the case of the Visual Basic example, by using the Visual Basic language's own conversion operator.

using System;

public class Example3
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      bool flag = true;

      byte byteValue;
      byteValue = Convert.ToByte(flag);
      Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1}", flag, byteValue);

      sbyte sbyteValue;
      sbyteValue = Convert.ToSByte(flag);
      Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1}", flag, sbyteValue);

      double dblValue;
      dblValue = Convert.ToDouble(flag);
      Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1}", flag, dblValue);

      int intValue;
      intValue = Convert.ToInt32(flag);
      Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1}", flag, intValue);
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       True -> 1
//       True -> 1
//       True -> 1
//       True -> 1
open System

let flag = true

let byteValue = Convert.ToByte flag
printfn $"{flag} -> {byteValue}"

let sbyteValue = Convert.ToSByte flag
printfn $"{flag} -> {sbyteValue}"

let dblValue = Convert.ToDouble flag
printfn $"{flag} -> {dblValue}"

let intValue = Convert.ToInt32(flag);
printfn $"{flag} -> {intValue}"

// The example displays the following output:
//       True -> 1
//       True -> 1
//       True -> 1
//       True -> 1
Module Example3
    Public Sub Main()
        Dim flag As Boolean = True

        Dim byteValue As Byte
        byteValue = Convert.ToByte(flag)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1} ({2})", flag, byteValue,
                                            byteValue.GetType().Name)
        byteValue = CByte(flag)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1} ({2})", flag, byteValue,
                                            byteValue.GetType().Name)

        Dim sbyteValue As SByte
        sbyteValue = Convert.ToSByte(flag)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1} ({2})", flag, sbyteValue,
                                            sbyteValue.GetType().Name)
        sbyteValue = CSByte(flag)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1} ({2})", flag, sbyteValue,
                                            sbyteValue.GetType().Name)

        Dim dblValue As Double
        dblValue = Convert.ToDouble(flag)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1} ({2})", flag, dblValue,
                                            dblValue.GetType().Name)
        dblValue = CDbl(flag)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1} ({2})", flag, dblValue,
                                            dblValue.GetType().Name)

        Dim intValue As Integer
        intValue = Convert.ToInt32(flag)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1} ({2})", flag, intValue,
                                            intValue.GetType().Name)
        intValue = CInt(flag)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1} ({2})", flag, intValue,
                                            intValue.GetType().Name)
    End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       True -> 1 (Byte)
'       True -> 255 (Byte)
'       True -> 1 (SByte)
'       True -> -1 (SByte)
'       True -> 1 (Double)
'       True -> -1 (Double)
'       True -> 1 (Int32)
'       True -> -1 (Int32)

For conversions from Boolean to string values, see the Format Boolean values section. For conversions from strings to Boolean values, see the Parse Boolean values section.

Parse Boolean values

The Boolean structure includes two static parsing methods, Parse and TryParse, that convert a string to a Boolean value. The string representation of a Boolean value is defined by the case-insensitive equivalents of the values of the TrueString and FalseString fields, which are "True" and "False", respectively. In other words, the only strings that parse successfully are "True", "False", "true", "false", or some mixed-case equivalent. You cannot successfully parse numeric strings such as "0" or "1". Leading or trailing white-space characters are not considered when performing the string comparison.

The following example uses the Parse and TryParse methods to parse a number of strings. Note that only the case-insensitive equivalents of "True" and "False" can be successfully parsed.

using System;

public class Example7
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      string[] values = { null, String.Empty, "True", "False",
                          "true", "false", "    true    ",
                           "TrUe", "fAlSe", "fa lse", "0",
                          "1", "-1", "string" };
      // Parse strings using the Boolean.Parse method.
      foreach (var value in values) {
         try {
            bool flag = Boolean.Parse(value);
            Console.WriteLine("'{0}' --> {1}", value, flag);
         }
         catch (ArgumentException) {
            Console.WriteLine("Cannot parse a null string.");
         }
         catch (FormatException) {
            Console.WriteLine("Cannot parse '{0}'.", value);
         }
      }
      Console.WriteLine();
      // Parse strings using the Boolean.TryParse method.
      foreach (var value in values) {
         bool flag = false;
         if (Boolean.TryParse(value, out flag))
            Console.WriteLine("'{0}' --> {1}", value, flag);
         else
            Console.WriteLine("Unable to parse '{0}'", value);
      }
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Cannot parse a null string.
//       Cannot parse ''.
//       'True' --> True
//       'False' --> False
//       'true' --> True
//       'false' --> False
//       '    true    ' --> True
//       'TrUe' --> True
//       'fAlSe' --> False
//       Cannot parse 'fa lse'.
//       Cannot parse '0'.
//       Cannot parse '1'.
//       Cannot parse '-1'.
//       Cannot parse 'string'.
//
//       Unable to parse ''
//       Unable to parse ''
//       'True' --> True
//       'False' --> False
//       'true' --> True
//       'false' --> False
//       '    true    ' --> True
//       'TrUe' --> True
//       'fAlSe' --> False
//       Cannot parse 'fa lse'.
//       Unable to parse '0'
//       Unable to parse '1'
//       Unable to parse '-1'
//       Unable to parse 'string'
open System

let values = 
    [ null; String.Empty; "True"; "False"
      "true"; "false"; "    true    "
      "TrUe"; "fAlSe"; "fa lse"; "0"
      "1"; "-1"; "string" ]
// Parse strings using the Boolean.Parse method.
for value in values do
    try
        let flag = Boolean.Parse value
        printfn $"'{value}' --> {flag}"
    with 
    | :? ArgumentException ->
        printfn "Cannot parse a null string."
    | :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"Cannot parse '{value}'."
printfn ""
// Parse strings using the Boolean.TryParse method.
for value in values do
    match Boolean.TryParse value with
    | true, flag -> 
        printfn $"'{value}' --> {flag}"
    | false, _ ->
        printfn $"Unable to parse '{value}'"

// The example displays the following output:
//       Cannot parse a null string.
//       Cannot parse ''.
//       'True' --> True
//       'False' --> False
//       'true' --> True
//       'false' --> False
//       '    true    ' --> True
//       'TrUe' --> True
//       'fAlSe' --> False
//       Cannot parse 'fa lse'.
//       Cannot parse '0'.
//       Cannot parse '1'.
//       Cannot parse '-1'.
//       Cannot parse 'string'.
//
//       Unable to parse ''
//       Unable to parse ''
//       'True' --> True
//       'False' --> False
//       'true' --> True
//       'false' --> False
//       '    true    ' --> True
//       'TrUe' --> True
//       'fAlSe' --> False
//       Cannot parse 'fa lse'.
//       Unable to parse '0'
//       Unable to parse '1'
//       Unable to parse '-1'
//       Unable to parse 'string'
Module Example7
    Public Sub Main()
        Dim values() As String = {Nothing, String.Empty, "True", "False",
                                 "true", "false", "    true    ",
                                 "TrUe", "fAlSe", "fa lse", "0",
                                 "1", "-1", "string"}
        ' Parse strings using the Boolean.Parse method.                    
        For Each value In values
            Try
                Dim flag As Boolean = Boolean.Parse(value)
                Console.WriteLine("'{0}' --> {1}", value, flag)
            Catch e As ArgumentException
                Console.WriteLine("Cannot parse a null string.")
            Catch e As FormatException
                Console.WriteLine("Cannot parse '{0}'.", value)
            End Try
        Next
        Console.WriteLine()
        ' Parse strings using the Boolean.TryParse method.                    
        For Each value In values
            Dim flag As Boolean = False
            If Boolean.TryParse(value, flag) Then
                Console.WriteLine("'{0}' --> {1}", value, flag)
            Else
                Console.WriteLine("Cannot parse '{0}'.", value)
            End If
        Next
    End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       Cannot parse a null string.
'       Cannot parse ''.
'       'True' --> True
'       'False' --> False
'       'true' --> True
'       'false' --> False
'       '    true    ' --> True
'       'TrUe' --> True
'       'fAlSe' --> False
'       Cannot parse 'fa lse'.
'       Cannot parse '0'.
'       Cannot parse '1'.
'       Cannot parse '-1'.
'       Cannot parse 'string'.
'       
'       Unable to parse ''
'       Unable to parse ''
'       'True' --> True
'       'False' --> False
'       'true' --> True
'       'false' --> False
'       '    true    ' --> True
'       'TrUe' --> True
'       'fAlSe' --> False
'       Cannot parse 'fa lse'.
'       Unable to parse '0'
'       Unable to parse '1'
'       Unable to parse '-1'
'       Unable to parse 'string'

If you're programming in Visual Basic, you can use the CBool function to convert the string representation of a number to a Boolean value. "0" is converted to false, and the string representation of any non-zero value is converted to true. If you're not programming in Visual Basic, you must convert your numeric string to a number before converting it to a Boolean. The following example illustrates this by converting an array of integers to Boolean values.

using System;

public class Example8
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      String[] values = { "09", "12.6", "0", "-13 " };
      foreach (var value in values) {
         bool success, result;
         int number;
         success = Int32.TryParse(value, out number);
         if (success) {
            // The method throws no exceptions.
            result = Convert.ToBoolean(number);
            Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1}", value, result);
         }
         else {
            Console.WriteLine("Unable to convert '{0}'", value);
         }
      }
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Converted '09' to True
//       Unable to convert '12.6'
//       Converted '0' to False
//       Converted '-13 ' to True
open System

let values = [ "09"; "12.6"; "0"; "-13 " ]
for value in values do
    match Int32.TryParse value with
    | true, number -> 
        // The method throws no exceptions.
        let result = Convert.ToBoolean number
        printfn $"Converted '{value}' to {result}"
    | false, _ ->
        printfn $"Unable to convert '{value}'"

// The example displays the following output:
//       Converted '09' to True
//       Unable to convert '12.6'
//       Converted '0' to False
//       Converted '-13 ' to True
Module Example8
    Public Sub Main()
        Dim values() As String = {"09", "12.6", "0", "-13 "}
        For Each value In values
            Dim success, result As Boolean
            Dim number As Integer
            success = Int32.TryParse(value, number)
            If success Then
                ' The method throws no exceptions.
                result = Convert.ToBoolean(number)
                Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1}", value, result)
            Else
                Console.WriteLine("Unable to convert '{0}'", value)
            End If
        Next
    End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       Converted '09' to True
'       Unable to convert '12.6'
'       Converted '0' to False
'       Converted '-13 ' to True

Compare Boolean values

Because Boolean values are either true or false, there is little reason to explicitly call the CompareTo method, which indicates whether an instance is greater than, less than, or equal to a specified value. Typically, to compare two Boolean variables, you call the Equals method or use your language's equality operator.

However, when you want to compare a Boolean variable with the literal Boolean value true or false, it's not necessary to do an explicit comparison, because the result of evaluating a Boolean value is that Boolean value. For example, the following two expressions are equivalent, but the second is more compact. However, both techniques offer comparable performance.

if (booleanValue == true) {
if booleanValue = true then
If booleanValue = True Then
if (booleanValue) {
if booleanValue then
If booleanValue Then

Work with Booleans as binary values

A Boolean value occupies one byte of memory, as the following example shows. The C# example must be compiled with the /unsafe switch.

using System;

public struct BoolStruct
{
   public bool flag1;
   public bool flag2;
   public bool flag3;
   public bool flag4;
   public bool flag5;
}

public class Example9
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      unsafe {
         BoolStruct b = new BoolStruct();
         bool* addr = (bool*) &b;
         Console.WriteLine("Size of BoolStruct: {0}", sizeof(BoolStruct));
         Console.WriteLine("Field offsets:");
         Console.WriteLine("   flag1: {0}", (bool*) &b.flag1 - addr);
         Console.WriteLine("   flag1: {0}", (bool*) &b.flag2 - addr);
         Console.WriteLine("   flag1: {0}", (bool*) &b.flag3 - addr);
         Console.WriteLine("   flag1: {0}", (bool*) &b.flag4 - addr);
         Console.WriteLine("   flag1: {0}", (bool*) &b.flag5 - addr);
      }
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Size of BoolStruct: 5
//       Field offsets:
//          flag1: 0
//          flag1: 1
//          flag1: 2
//          flag1: 3
//          flag1: 4
#nowarn "9" "51"
open FSharp.NativeInterop

[<Struct>]
type BoolStruct =
   val flag1: bool
   val flag2: bool
   val flag3: bool
   val flag4: bool
   val flag5: bool

let inline nint addr = NativePtr.toNativeInt addr

let mutable b = BoolStruct()
let addr = &&b

printfn $"Size of BoolStruct: {sizeof<BoolStruct>}"
printfn "Field offsets:"
printfn $"   flag1: {nint &&b.flag1 - nint addr}"
printfn $"   flag2: {nint &&b.flag2 - nint addr}"
printfn $"   flag3: {nint &&b.flag3 - nint addr}"
printfn $"   flag4: {nint &&b.flag4 - nint addr}"
printfn $"   flag5: {nint &&b.flag5 - nint addr}"

// The example displays the following output:
//       Size of BoolStruct: 5
//       Field offsets:
//          flag1: 0
//          flag1: 1
//          flag1: 2
//          flag1: 3
//          flag1: 4

The byte's low-order bit is used to represent its value. A value of 1 represents true; a value of 0 represents false.

Tip

You can use the System.Collections.Specialized.BitVector32 structure to work with sets of Boolean values.

You can convert a Boolean value to its binary representation by calling the BitConverter.GetBytes(Boolean) method. The method returns a byte array with a single element. To restore a Boolean value from its binary representation, you can call the BitConverter.ToBoolean(Byte[], Int32) method.

The following example calls the BitConverter.GetBytes method to convert a Boolean value to its binary representation and displays the individual bits of the value, and then calls the BitConverter.ToBoolean method to restore the value from its binary representation.

using System;

public class Example1
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        bool[] flags = { true, false };
        foreach (var flag in flags)
        {
            // Get binary representation of flag.
            Byte value = BitConverter.GetBytes(flag)[0];
            Console.WriteLine("Original value: {0}", flag);
            Console.WriteLine("Binary value:   {0} ({1})", value,
                              GetBinaryString(value));
            // Restore the flag from its binary representation.
            bool newFlag = BitConverter.ToBoolean(new Byte[] { value }, 0);
            Console.WriteLine("Restored value: {0}\n", flag);
        }
    }

    private static string GetBinaryString(Byte value)
    {
        string retVal = Convert.ToString(value, 2);
        return new string('0', 8 - retVal.Length) + retVal;
    }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Original value: True
//       Binary value:   1 (00000001)
//       Restored value: True
//
//       Original value: False
//       Binary value:   0 (00000000)
//       Restored value: False
open System

let getBinaryString (value: byte) =
   let retValue = Convert.ToString(value, 2)
   String('0', 8 - retValue.Length) + retValue

let flags = [ true; false ]
for flag in flags do
      // Get binary representation of flag.
      let value = BitConverter.GetBytes(flag)[0];
      printfn $"Original value: {flag}"
      printfn $"Binary value:   {value} ({getBinaryString value})"
      // Restore the flag from its binary representation.
      let newFlag = BitConverter.ToBoolean([|value|], 0)
      printfn $"Restored value: {newFlag}\n"

// The example displays the following output:
//       Original value: True
//       Binary value:   1 (00000001)
//       Restored value: True
//
//       Original value: False
//       Binary value:   0 (00000000)
//       Restored value: False
Module Example1
    Public Sub Main()
        Dim flags() As Boolean = {True, False}
        For Each flag In flags
            ' Get binary representation of flag.
            Dim value As Byte = BitConverter.GetBytes(flag)(0)
            Console.WriteLine("Original value: {0}", flag)
            Console.WriteLine("Binary value:   {0} ({1})", value,
                           GetBinaryString(value))
            ' Restore the flag from its binary representation.
            Dim newFlag As Boolean = BitConverter.ToBoolean({value}, 0)
            Console.WriteLine("Restored value: {0}", flag)
            Console.WriteLine()
        Next
    End Sub

    Private Function GetBinaryString(value As Byte) As String
        Dim retVal As String = Convert.ToString(value, 2)
        Return New String("0"c, 8 - retVal.Length) + retVal
    End Function
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       Original value: True
'       Binary value:   1 (00000001)
'       Restored value: True
'       
'       Original value: False
'       Binary value:   0 (00000000)
'       Restored value: False

Perform operations with Boolean values

This section illustrates how Boolean values are used in apps. The first section discusses its use as a flag. The second illustrates its use for arithmetic operations.

Boolean values as flags

Boolean variables are most commonly used as flags, to signal the presence or absence of some condition. For example, in the String.Compare(String, String, Boolean) method, the final parameter, ignoreCase, is a flag that indicates whether the comparison of two strings is case-insensitive (ignoreCase is true) or case-sensitive (ignoreCase is false). The value of the flag can then be evaluated in a conditional statement.

The following example uses a simple console app to illustrate the use of Boolean variables as flags. The app accepts command-line parameters that enable output to be redirected to a specified file (the /f switch), and that enable output to be sent both to a specified file and to the console (the /b switch). The app defines a flag named isRedirected to indicate whether output is to be sent to a file, and a flag named isBoth to indicate that output should be sent to the console. The F# example uses a recursive function to parse the arguments.

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Threading;

public class Example5
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      // Initialize flag variables.
      bool isRedirected = false;
      bool isBoth = false;
      String fileName = "";
      StreamWriter sw = null;

      // Get any command line arguments.
      String[] args = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs();
      // Handle any arguments.
      if (args.Length > 1) {
         for (int ctr = 1; ctr < args.Length; ctr++) {
            String arg = args[ctr];
            if (arg.StartsWith("/") || arg.StartsWith("-")) {
               switch (arg.Substring(1).ToLower())
               {
                  case "f":
                     isRedirected = true;
                     if (args.Length < ctr + 2) {
                        ShowSyntax("The /f switch must be followed by a filename.");
                        return;
                     }
                     fileName = args[ctr + 1];
                     ctr++;
                     break;
                  case "b":
                     isBoth = true;
                     break;
                  default:
                     ShowSyntax(String.Format("The {0} switch is not supported",
                                              args[ctr]));
                     return;
               }
            }
         }
      }

      // If isBoth is True, isRedirected must be True.
      if (isBoth &&  ! isRedirected) {
         ShowSyntax("The /f switch must be used if /b is used.");
         return;
      }

      // Handle output.
      if (isRedirected) {
         sw = new StreamWriter(fileName);
         if (!isBoth)
            Console.SetOut(sw);
      }
      String msg = String.Format("Application began at {0}", DateTime.Now);
      Console.WriteLine(msg);
      if (isBoth) sw.WriteLine(msg);
      Thread.Sleep(5000);
      msg = String.Format("Application ended normally at {0}", DateTime.Now);
      Console.WriteLine(msg);
      if (isBoth) sw.WriteLine(msg);
      if (isRedirected) sw.Close();
   }

   private static void ShowSyntax(String errMsg)
   {
      Console.WriteLine(errMsg);
      Console.WriteLine("\nSyntax: Example [[/f <filename> [/b]]\n");
   }
}
open System
open System.IO
open System.Threading

let showSyntax errMsg =
    printfn $"{errMsg}\n\nSyntax: Example [[/f <filename> [/b]]\n" 

let mutable isRedirected = false
let mutable isBoth = false
let mutable fileName = ""

let rec parse = function
    | [] -> ()
    | "-b" :: rest
    | "/b" :: rest ->
        isBoth <- true
        // Parse remaining arguments.
        parse rest
    | "-f" :: file :: rest
    | "/f" :: file :: rest ->
        isRedirected <- true
        fileName <- file
        // Parse remaining arguments.
        parse rest
    | "-f" :: []
    | "/f" :: [] ->
        isRedirected <- true
        // No more arguments to parse.
    | x -> showSyntax $"The {x} switch is not supported"

Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()[1..]
|> List.ofArray
|> parse

// If isBoth is True, isRedirected must be True.
if isBoth && not isRedirected then
    showSyntax "The /f switch must be used if /b is used."
// If isRedirected is True, a fileName must be specified.
elif fileName = "" && isRedirected then
    showSyntax "The /f switch must be followed by a filename."    
else
    use mutable sw = null

    // Handle output.
    let writeLine =
        if isRedirected then 
            sw <- new StreamWriter(fileName)
            if isBoth then
                fun text -> 
                    printfn "%s" text
                    sw.WriteLine text
            else sw.WriteLine
        else printfn "%s"

    writeLine $"Application began at {DateTime.Now}"
    Thread.Sleep 5000
    writeLine $"Application ended normally at {DateTime.Now}"
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Threading

Module Example5
    Public Sub Main()
        ' Initialize flag variables.
        Dim isRedirected, isBoth As Boolean
        Dim fileName As String = ""
        Dim sw As StreamWriter = Nothing

        ' Get any command line arguments.
        Dim args() As String = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs()
        ' Handle any arguments.
        If args.Length > 1 Then
            For ctr = 1 To args.Length - 1
                Dim arg As String = args(ctr)
                If arg.StartsWith("/") OrElse arg.StartsWith("-") Then
                    Select Case arg.Substring(1).ToLower()
                        Case "f"
                            isRedirected = True
                            If args.Length < ctr + 2 Then
                                ShowSyntax("The /f switch must be followed by a filename.")
                                Exit Sub
                            End If
                            fileName = args(ctr + 1)
                            ctr += 1
                        Case "b"
                            isBoth = True
                        Case Else
                            ShowSyntax(String.Format("The {0} switch is not supported",
                                              args(ctr)))
                            Exit Sub
                    End Select
                End If
            Next
        End If

        ' If isBoth is True, isRedirected must be True.
        If isBoth And Not isRedirected Then
            ShowSyntax("The /f switch must be used if /b is used.")
            Exit Sub
        End If

        ' Handle output.
        If isRedirected Then
            sw = New StreamWriter(fileName)
            If Not isBoth Then
                Console.SetOut(sw)
            End If
        End If
        Dim msg As String = String.Format("Application began at {0}", Date.Now)
        Console.WriteLine(msg)
        If isBoth Then sw.WriteLine(msg)
        Thread.Sleep(5000)
        msg = String.Format("Application ended normally at {0}", Date.Now)
        Console.WriteLine(msg)
        If isBoth Then sw.WriteLine(msg)
        If isRedirected Then sw.Close()
    End Sub

    Private Sub ShowSyntax(errMsg As String)
        Console.WriteLine(errMsg)
        Console.WriteLine()
        Console.WriteLine("Syntax: Example [[/f <filename> [/b]]")
        Console.WriteLine()
    End Sub
End Module

Booleans and arithmetic operations

A Boolean value is sometimes used to indicate the presence of a condition that triggers a mathematical calculation. For example, a hasShippingCharge variable might serve as a flag to indicate whether to add shipping charges to an invoice amount.

Because an operation with a false value has no effect on the result of an operation, it's not necessary to convert the Boolean to an integral value to use in the mathematical operation. Instead, you can use conditional logic.

The following example computes an amount that consists of a subtotal, a shipping charge, and an optional service charge. The hasServiceCharge variable determines whether the service charge is applied. Instead of converting hasServiceCharge to a numeric value and multiplying it by the amount of the service charge, the example uses conditional logic to add the service charge amount if it is applicable.

using System;

public class Example6
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      bool[] hasServiceCharges = { true, false };
      Decimal subtotal = 120.62m;
      Decimal shippingCharge = 2.50m;
      Decimal serviceCharge = 5.00m;

      foreach (var hasServiceCharge in hasServiceCharges) {
         Decimal total = subtotal + shippingCharge +
                                (hasServiceCharge ? serviceCharge : 0);
         Console.WriteLine("hasServiceCharge = {1}: The total is {0:C2}.",
                           total, hasServiceCharge);
      }
   }
}
// The example displays output like the following:
//       hasServiceCharge = True: The total is $128.12.
//       hasServiceCharge = False: The total is $123.12.
let hasServiceCharges = [ true; false ]
let subtotal = 120.62M
let shippingCharge = 2.50M
let serviceCharge = 5.00M

for hasServiceCharge in hasServiceCharges do
    let total = 
        subtotal + shippingCharge + if hasServiceCharge then serviceCharge else 0M
    printfn $"hasServiceCharge = {hasServiceCharge}: The total is {total:C2}."

// The example displays output like the following:
//       hasServiceCharge = True: The total is $128.12.
//       hasServiceCharge = False: The total is $123.12.
Module Example6
    Public Sub Main()
        Dim hasServiceCharges() As Boolean = {True, False}
        Dim subtotal As Decimal = 120.62D
        Dim shippingCharge As Decimal = 2.5D
        Dim serviceCharge As Decimal = 5D

        For Each hasServiceCharge In hasServiceCharges
            Dim total As Decimal = subtotal + shippingCharge +
                                If(hasServiceCharge, serviceCharge, 0)
            Console.WriteLine("hasServiceCharge = {1}: The total is {0:C2}.",
                           total, hasServiceCharge)
        Next
    End Sub
End Module
' The example displays output like the following:
'       hasServiceCharge = True: The total is $128.12.
'       hasServiceCharge = False: The total is $123.12.

Booleans and interop

While marshaling base data types to COM is generally straightforward, the Boolean data type is an exception. You can apply the MarshalAsAttribute attribute to marshal the Boolean type to any of the following representations:

Enumeration type Unmanaged format
UnmanagedType.Bool A 4-byte integer value, where any nonzero value represents true and 0 represents false. This is the default format of a Boolean field in a structure and of a Boolean parameter in platform invoke calls.
UnmanagedType.U1 A 1-byte integer value, where the 1 represents true and 0 represents false.
UnmanagedType.VariantBool A 2-byte integer value, where -1 represents true and 0 represents false. This is the default format of a Boolean parameter in COM interop calls.