Val, Asc

In VB.NET Val, Asc and AscW convert characters. From the Char, we get either its integer representation or its numeric representation.

Using these Functions, we convert characters into the appropriate integer value. We can go back and forth with these functions.

Example

We use these functions with two characters. The character "a" has a Val of 0 and an Asc of 97. In ASCII, the letter "a" is represented with the number 97.

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        ' Use Val and AscW on char.
        Dim c As Char = "a"c
        Dim i As Integer = Val(c)
        Dim a As Integer = Asc(c)

        Console.WriteLine(c)
        Console.WriteLine(i)
        Console.WriteLine(a)

        ' Another character.
        Dim c2 As Char = "2"c
        Dim i2 As Integer = Val(c2)
        Dim a2 As Integer = AscW(c2) ' AscW is similar to Asc

        Console.WriteLine(c2)
        Console.WriteLine(i2)
        Console.WriteLine(a2)
    End Sub
End Module
a
0
97
2
2
50

The Val, Asc and AscW Functions are useful in different situations. If you want to convert a Char to its underlying integer representation, the Asc and AscW functions are ideal.

Final note

If you want to get the number from the Char and turn it into an Integer, the Val function is best. The Val, Asc and AscW functions are only available in VB.NET, not C#.