dnsjava · ibauersachs · May 10, 2026 · Apr 13, 2026
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/CAARecord.java b/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/CAARecord.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package org.xbill.DNS;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 
 /**
  * Certification Authority Authorization
@@ -79,12 +80,32 @@ public int getFlags() {
 
   /** Returns the tag. */
   public String getTag() {
-    return byteArrayToString(tag, false);
+    return new String(tag, StandardCharsets.US_ASCII);
   }
 
-  /** Returns the value */
+  /**
+   * Returns the value as a string.
+   *
+   * @param escape if true, returns the RR textual representation of the underlying bytes. If false,
+   *     returns just the simple string using the UTF-8 charset with no additional escaping.
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public String getValue(boolean escape) {
+    return escape ? byteArrayToString(value, false) : new String(value, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+  }
+
+  /** Returns the value as a string, escaped for RR textual representation */
   public String getValue() {
-    return byteArrayToString(value, false);
+    return getValue(true);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the value as a raw byte-array
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public byte[] getValueAsByteArray() {
+    return value;
   }
 
   @Override

diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/HINFORecord.java b/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/HINFORecord.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package org.xbill.DNS;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 
 /**
  * Host Information - describes the CPU and OS of a host
@@ -51,14 +52,54 @@ protected void rdataFromString(Tokenizer st, Name origin) throws IOException {
     }
   }
 
-  /** Returns the host's CPU */
+  /**
+   * Returns the host's CPU as a string.
+   *
+   * @param escape if true, returns the RR textual representation of the underlying bytes. If false,
+   *     returns just the simple string using the UTF-8 charset with no additional escaping.
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public String getCPU(boolean escape) {
+    return escape ? byteArrayToString(cpu, false) : new String(cpu, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+  }
+
+  /** Returns the host's CPU as a string, escaped for RR textual representation */
   public String getCPU() {
-    return byteArrayToString(cpu, false);
+    return getCPU(true);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the host's CPU as a raw byte-array
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public byte[] getCPUAsByteArray() {
+    return cpu;
   }
 
-  /** Returns the host's OS */
+  /**
+   * Returns the host's OS as a string.
+   *
+   * @param escape if true, returns the RR textual representation of the underlying bytes. If false,
+   *     returns just the simple string using the UTF-8 charset with no additional escaping.
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public String getOS(boolean escape) {
+    return escape ? byteArrayToString(os, false) : new String(os, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+  }
+
+  /** Returns the host's OS as a string, escaped for RR textual representation */
   public String getOS() {
-    return byteArrayToString(os, false);
+    return getOS(true);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the host's OS as a raw byte-array
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public byte[] getOSAsByteArray() {
+    return os;
   }
 
   @Override

diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/ISDNRecord.java b/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/ISDNRecord.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package org.xbill.DNS;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 
 /**
  * ISDN - identifies the ISDN number and subaddress associated with a name.
@@ -59,17 +60,65 @@ protected void rdataFromString(Tokenizer st, Name origin) throws IOException {
     }
   }
 
-  /** Returns the ISDN number associated with the domain. */
+  /**
+   * Returns the ISDN number associated with the domain as a string.
+   *
+   * @param escape if true, returns the RR textual representation of the underlying bytes. If false,
+   *     returns just the simple string using the UTF-8 charset with no additional escaping.
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public String getAddress(boolean escape) {
+    return escape ? byteArrayToString(address, false) : new String(address, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the ISDN number associated with the domain as a string, escaped for RR textual
+   * representation
+   */
   public String getAddress() {
-    return byteArrayToString(address, false);
+    return getAddress(true);
   }
 
-  /** Returns the ISDN subaddress, or null if there is none. */
-  public String getSubAddress() {
+  /**
+   * Returns the ISDN number associated with the domain as a raw byte-array
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public byte[] getAddressAsByteArray() {
+    return address;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the ISDN subaddress as a string, or null if there is none.
+   *
+   * @param escape if true, returns the RR textual representation of the underlying bytes. If false,
+   *     returns just the simple string using the UTF-8 charset with no additional escaping.
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public String getSubAddress(boolean escape) {
     if (subAddress == null) {
       return null;
     }
-    return byteArrayToString(subAddress, false);
+    return escape
+        ? byteArrayToString(subAddress, false)
+        : new String(subAddress, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the ISDN subaddress as a string, escaped for RR textual representation, or null if
+   * there is none.
+   */
+  public String getSubAddress() {
+    return getSubAddress(true);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the ISDN subaddress as a raw byte-array, or null if there is none.
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public byte[] getSubAddressAsByteArray() {
+    return subAddress;
   }
 
   @Override

diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/NAPTRRecord.java b/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/NAPTRRecord.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package org.xbill.DNS;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 
 /**
  * Name Authority Pointer Record - specifies rewrite rule, that when applied to an existing string
@@ -112,17 +113,57 @@ public int getPreference() {
 
   /** Returns flags */
   public String getFlags() {
-    return byteArrayToString(flags, false);
+    return new String(flags, StandardCharsets.US_ASCII);
   }
 
-  /** Returns service */
+  /**
+   * Returns the service as a string.
+   *
+   * @param escape if true, returns the RR textual representation of the underlying bytes. If false,
+   *     returns just the simple string using the UTF-8 charset with no additional escaping.
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public String getService(boolean escape) {
+    return escape ? byteArrayToString(service, false) : new String(service, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+  }
+
+  /** Returns the service as a string, escaped for RR textual representation */
   public String getService() {
-    return byteArrayToString(service, false);
+    return getService(true);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the service as a raw byte-array
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public byte[] getServiceAsByteArray() {
+    return service;
   }
 
-  /** Returns regexp */
+  /**
+   * Returns regexp as a string.
+   *
+   * @param escape if true, returns the RR textual representation of the underlying bytes. If false,
+   *     returns just the simple string using the UTF-8 charset with no additional escaping.
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public String getRegexp(boolean escape) {
+    return escape ? byteArrayToString(regexp, false) : new String(regexp, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+  }
+
+  /** Returns regexp as a string, escaped for RR textual representation */
   public String getRegexp() {
-    return byteArrayToString(regexp, false);
+    return getRegexp(true);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns regexp as a raw byte-array
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public byte[] getRegexpAsByteArray() {
+    return regexp;
   }
 
   /** Returns the replacement domain-name */

diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/NSAPRecord.java b/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/NSAPRecord.java
@@ -78,11 +78,27 @@ protected void rdataFromString(Tokenizer st, Name origin) throws IOException {
     }
   }
 
-  /** Returns the NSAP address. */
+  /**
+   * Returns the NSAP address as a string, escaped for RR textual representation.
+   *
+   * <p>Obsolete, use {@link NSAPRecord#getAddressAsByteArray} instead.
+   *
+   * @deprecated
+   */
+  @Deprecated
   public String getAddress() {
     return byteArrayToString(address, false);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the NSAP address.
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public byte[] getAddressAsByteArray() {
+    return address;
+  }
+
   @Override
   protected void rrToWire(DNSOutput out, Compression c, boolean canonical) {
     out.writeByteArray(address);

diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/TXTBase.java b/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/TXTBase.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package org.xbill.DNS;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Iterator;
@@ -90,22 +91,31 @@ protected String rrToString() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns the text strings
+   * Returns the text strings as a list of strings.
    *
-   * @return A list of Strings corresponding to the text strings.
+   * @param escape if true, returns the RR textual representation of the underlying bytes for each
+   *     string. If false, returns just the simple strings using the UTF-8 charset with no
+   *     additional escaping.
+   * @since 3.6.5
    */
-  public List<String> getStrings() {
+  public List<String> getStrings(boolean escape) {
     List<String> list = new ArrayList<>(strings.size());
     for (byte[] string : strings) {
-      list.add(byteArrayToString(string, false));
+      list.add(
+          escape ? byteArrayToString(string, false) : new String(string, StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
     }
     return list;
   }
 
+  /** Returns the text strings as a list of strings, escaped for RR textual representation */
+  public List<String> getStrings() {
+    return getStrings(true);
+  }
+
   /**
-   * Returns the text strings
+   * Returns the text strings as a list of raw byte-arrays
    *
-   * @return A list of byte arrays corresponding to the text strings.
+   * @since 3.6.5
    */
   public List<byte[]> getStringsAsByteArrays() {
     return strings;

diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/URIRecord.java b/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/URIRecord.java
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 package org.xbill.DNS;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.net.URI;
+import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 
 /**
  * Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) DNS Resource Record
@@ -78,11 +81,27 @@ public int getWeight() {
     return weight;
   }
 
-  /** Returns the target URI */
+  /**
+   * Returns the target URI as a string, escaped for RR textual representation.
+   *
+   * <p>Obsolete, use {@link URIRecord#getTargetAsURI()} instead.
+   *
+   * @deprecated
+   */
+  @Deprecated
   public String getTarget() {
     return byteArrayToString(target, false);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the target URI as a {@link URI}
+   *
+   * @since 3.6.5
+   */
+  public URI getTargetAsURI() throws URISyntaxException {
+    return new URI(new String(target, StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+  }
+
   @Override
   protected void rrToWire(DNSOutput out, Compression c, boolean canonical) {
     out.writeU16(priority);

diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/X25Record.java b/src/main/java/org/xbill/DNS/X25Record.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package org.xbill.DNS;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 
 /**
  * X25 - identifies the PSDN (Public Switched Data Network) address in the X.121 numbering plan
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ protected void rdataFromString(Tokenizer st, Name origin) throws IOException {
 
   /** Returns the X.25 PSDN address. */
   public String getAddress() {
-    return byteArrayToString(address, false);
+    return new String(address, StandardCharsets.US_ASCII);
   }
 
   @Override