How do I convert decimal to binary?
Repeatedly divide the decimal number by 2 and write down the remainders in reverse. For example, 13 divided by 2 gives 6 remainder 1, then 3 r1, then 1 r1, then 0 r1, so 13 in binary is 1101. The converter does this instantly for any size of number, including very large values that would be tedious by hand.
What is hexadecimal used for?
Hexadecimal (base 16) uses digits 0-9 and A-F. Each hex digit represents four binary digits, so it is a compact way to write binary values. Hex is used in colour codes (#FF8800), memory addresses, and machine code. The converter translates between binary, octal, decimal, and hex with no manual lookup of digit values needed.
What is the difference between base32 and base64?
Both encode binary data using printable characters, but base32 uses 32 symbols (A-Z, 2-7) and base64 uses 64 symbols (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /). Base64 is more compact, used in email, JSON web tokens, and data URLs. Base32 is case-insensitive and easier to type or speak, used in QR codes, OTP secrets, and DNS records.
Why is base 8 (octal) used?
Octal uses digits 0-7 and groups binary digits in threes. It was popular in early computing because some machines had 12-, 24-, or 36-bit words that divided neatly into octal digits. Today its main use is Unix file permissions (chmod 755). The converter still supports octal because it remains common in system administration.
Can I convert negative numbers and decimals?
Negative integers can be converted by changing sign or representing them in two's complement, depending on the use case. Fractional numbers in non-decimal bases are less common and follow the same digit-by-digit rule with negative powers. The converter typically focuses on non-negative integers, which covers most real-world cases like colour values, IDs, and addresses.
What is base 64 padding?
Base64 encodes 3 bytes into 4 characters. If the input length is not a multiple of 3, the encoder pads with one or two = signs to keep the output length a multiple of 4. So "Ma" encodes to "TWE=" and "M" encodes to "TQ==". When decoding, the converter strips padding automatically before producing the original bytes.