Crash on converting string to byte

Member Alienoiz

Hello all...im new and im not even a coder. I just do some apps once in a while to keep the head busy and exercise my mind. im actually trying to make an mp3 tagger. All is good but i cannot tag new files..only pre-tagged files...it says it cannot convert string to byte in the "Track" and "Genre" fields. This is the class im using

Imports System.IO

Public Class MP3ID3v1

' Constructor
Public Sub New(Optional ByVal Filename As String = "")
    MyBase.New()
    If (Filename <> "") Then Me.Filename = Filename
End Sub

#Region " Declarations "

' Genres
Public Enum Genres As Byte
    Blues = 0
    ClassicRock = 1
    Country = 2
    Dance = 3
    Disco = 4
    Funk = 5
    Grunge = 6
    HipHop = 7
    Jazz = 8
    Metal = 9
    NewAge = 10
    Oldies = 11
    Other = 12
    Pop = 13
    RnB = 14
    Rap = 15
    Reggae = 16
    Rock = 17
    Techno = 18
    Industrial = 19
    Alternative = 20
    Ska = 21
    DeathMetal = 22
    Pranks = 23
    Soundtrack = 24
    EuroTechno = 25
    Ambient = 26
    TripHop = 27
    Vocal = 28
    JazzFunk = 29
    Fusion = 30
    Trance = 31
    Classical = 32
    Instrumental = 33
    Acid = 34
    House = 35
    Game = 36
    SoundClip = 37
    Gospel = 38
    Noise = 39
    AlternRock = 40
    Bass = 41
    Soul = 42
    Punk = 43
    Space = 44
    Meditative = 45
    InstrumentalPop = 46
    InstrumentalRock = 47
    Ethnic = 48
    Gothic = 49
    Darkwave = 50
    TechnoIndustrial = 51
    Electronic = 52
    PopFolk = 53
    Eurodance = 54
    Dream = 55
    SouthernRock = 56
    Comedy = 57
    Cult = 58
    Gangsta = 59
    Top40 = 60
    ChristianRap = 61
    PopFunk = 62
    Jungle = 63
    NativeAmerican = 64
    Cabaret = 65
    NewWave = 66
    Psychadelic = 67
    Rave = 68
    Showtunes = 69
    Trailer = 70
    LoFi = 71
    Tribal = 72
    AcidPunk = 73
    AcidJazz = 74
    Polka = 75
    Retro = 76
    Musical = 77
    RocknRoll = 78
    HardRock = 79
    None = 255
End Enum

' Frame types
Public Enum FrameTypes As Byte
    Title = 0
    Artist = 1
    Album = 2

Lost User

Just dumping all your code and expecting someone to fix it is quite rude. We have no idea where the error occurs. So please edit the question, remove all the code that is not relevant to the problem, mark the point where the error occurs, and include the complete text of the error message.

Member Alienoiz

Hi..sorry..i posted all the code cause i do not know what is happenning at all... anyway...thanks and i can resume yes... when i try to save the tags:

Dim bytTrack As Byte
Dim bytGenre As Byte

the error returns it cannot convert String to Byte..but this is only happenning in new files..if i use a pretagged file all seems good. im using this method:

Private Sub Button3_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button3.Click
If ListBox1.Text = "" Then
Dim r8 As DialogResult = MessageBox.Show(Me, "No File Selected!",
"Select Files", MessageBoxButtons.OK)

    Else

        Dim objMP3V1 As New MP3ID3v1(FolderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath & "\\" & ListBox1.SelectedItem)

        If CheckBox1.Checked = True Then
            objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Title) = TextBox1.Text
            objMP3V1.Update()
        End If

        If CheckBox2.Checked = True Then
            objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Artist) = TextBox2.Text
            objMP3V1.Update()
        End If

        If CheckBox3.Checked = True Then
            objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Album) = TextBox3.Text
            objMP3V1.Update()
        End If

        If CheckBox4.Checked = True Then
            objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Year) = TextBox4.Text
            objMP3V1.Update()
        End If

        If CheckBox5.Checked = True Then
            objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Track) = TextBox5.Text
            objMP3V1.Update()
        End If
        If CheckBox6.Checked = True Then
            objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Comment) = TextBox6.Text
            objMP3V1.Update()
        End If

        If CheckBox7.Checked = True Then
            objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Genre) = ComboBox1.SelectedValue
            objMP3V1.Update()
        End If
        Dim r9 As DialogResult = MessageBox.Show(Me, "Operation Complete!",
                      "Tagged Files!", MessageBoxButtons.OK)
    End If


End Sub

Lost User

You are trying to store the text strings into both those fields which are (presumably) byte types. So you need to convert the strings into their correct value types first. As someone who claims not to be a programmer, that is a lot of code that you have written.

Member Alienoiz

:) Thanks...i use a lot of snippets too....so how do i convert them properly?..i already tried some methods but i could not do it! anyway..the code is functionning for pre-tagged files...i just cannot write the properties into new files :(

Lost User

I don't know how you convert them because I am not clear on what type the target is. So you need to check the definition of those fields and use an appropriate method of the Convert Class (System) | Microsoft Learn[^].

Lost User

Unless you know "why" you want to convert a string to "byte" (which makes little sense in your present context) even knowing "how", will only get you a little bit further. And maybe "deeper" in the wrong direction.

"Before entering on an understanding, I have meditated for a long time, and have foreseen what might happen. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly, secretly, what I have to say or to do in a circumstance unexpected by other people; it is reflection, it is meditation." - Napoleon I

Member Alienoiz

well..they are just the Track ID and Genre ID in an mp3 file...can i change the main code and switch them to string?...this is why i posted the full code on the start!!!

Lost User

I don't know the answer. You first need to know what actual type they are in the file: Byte, String, Int32, Int64, Bool etc. You then need to set a matching type in your code. Then when you get the user's selection, you may or may not need to convert what the user chooses into the appropriate type. But all that detail should have been decided before you put all this code together. And I am afraid there is far too much for anyone other than you, to know where to do this.

Member Alienoiz

i think i can do the conversion here:

Dim strTag As New String(" ", 3)
Dim strTitle As New String(" ", 30)
Dim strArtist As New String(" ", 30)
Dim strAlbum As New String(" ", 30)
Dim strYear As New String(" ", 4)
Dim strComment As New String(" ", 28)
Dim bytDummy As Byte
Dim bytTrack As Byte
Dim bytGenre As Byte

setting the "as byte" to "new string" but i do not know about the numbers here??!!!

Member Alienoiz

i think is Int32 :)

Lost User

As I said above, You need to match your definitions with the actual types that are used in the file. So you need to find the definition of the file types you are trying to modify and check the requirements.

Lost User

Fine, but you need to be certain.

jschell

Debugging methodology - there are others though. Start removing or commenting out code until the error goes away. Obviously you must give some thought to exactly which code you do this to. Then when the error goes away you have found the problem. Then you can create a much smaller example code to test that functionality and figure out how to make it work correctly. Then you fix the original code and put everything else back.

Member Alienoiz

i tried this but no luck:

    If CheckBox5.Checked = True Then
                    Dim txt = TextBox5.Text
                    Dim tt As Integer = Convert.ToInt32(txt)
                    tt = objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Track) & vbLf
                    objMP3V1.Update()
                End If
                If CheckBox6.Checked = True Then
                    objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Comment) = TextBox6.Text
                    objMP3V1.Update()
                End If

                If CheckBox7.Checked = True Then
                    Dim xt = ComboBox1.SelectedValue
                    Dim xx As Integer = Convert.ToInt32(xt)
                    xx = objMP3V1.Frame(MP3ID3v1.FrameTypes.Genre) & vbLf
                    objMP3V1.Update()
                End If

Lost User

Member Alienoiz wrote:

i tried this but no luck:

Why are you trying to store 32 bit integer values in 8 bit byte fields?

Member Alienoiz

well..,like i say..im no coder...i just read snippets and try by error!

Member Alienoiz

can it be here?

' Fix the length of the frames
strTitle = LSet(mobjFrame(0), Len(strTitle))
strArtist = LSet(mobjFrame(1), Len(strArtist))
strAlbum = LSet(mobjFrame(2), Len(strAlbum))
strYear = LSet(mobjFrame(3), Len(strYear))
bytTrack = mobjFrame(4)
strComment = LSet(mobjFrame(5), Len(strComment))
bytGenre = mobjFrame(6)

sorry im blind about it for now :(((

Lost User

Sorry, I really have no idea what that code is trying to do, so I cannnt say whether it is correct or not.

Member Alienoiz

hey..i changed my library..im now using UltraID3lib.....it seems im making it but i have another question... how do i make mass edit in a listbox? im using this code that was working previously but is not working now:

Private Sub Button3_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button3.Click

    If ListBox1.SelectedItem = "" Then
        Dim r8 As DialogResult = MessageBox.Show(Me, "No File Selected!",
                               "Select Files", MessageBoxButtons.OK)


    Else
        If CheckBox1.Checked = False And CheckBox2.Checked = False And CheckBox3.Checked = False And CheckBox4.Checked = False And CheckBox5.Checked = False And CheckBox6.Checked = False And CheckBox7.Checked = False Then
            Dim r8 As DialogResult = MessageBox.Show(Me, "Select a tag to enter!",
                              "Select Tags", MessageBoxButtons.OK)
        Else
            Dim fil = ListBox1.SelectedItems
            Dim fil2 As String
            For Each fil2 In fil

                If CheckBox1.Checked = True Then
                    myMp3.ID3v2Tag.Title = TextBox1.Text
                    myMp3.Write()
                End If


                If CheckBox2.Checked = True Then
                    myMp3.ID3v2Tag.Artist = TextBox2.Text
                    myMp3.Write()
                End If


                If CheckBox3.Checked = True Then
                    myMp3.ID3v2Tag.Album = TextBox3.Text
                    myMp3.Write()
                End If


                If CheckBox4.Checked = True And TextBox4.Text <> "" Then
                    On Error Resume Next
                    myMp3.ID3v2Tag.Year = Short.Parse(TextBox4.Text)
                    myMp3.Write()
                    On Error Resume Next
                End If


                If CheckBox5.Checked = True And TextBox5.Text <> "" Then
                    myMp3.ID3v2Tag.TrackNum = Short.Parse(TextBox5.Text)
                    myMp3.Write()
                    On Error Resume Next
                End If


                If CheckBox6.Checked = True Then
                    myMp3.ID3v2Tag.Comments = TextBox6.Text
                    myMp3.Write()
                End If

                If CheckBox7.Checked = True Then
                    If ComboBox1.Text = "01 - User" Then
                        myMp3.ID3v2Tag