Alright, one of the most misunderstood concepts in coding: Base 64 Encoding Algorithm. This algorithm is like a secret code that allows you to convert your data into something that looks like gibberish but can be easily decoded back to its original form. It’s kind of like when you were a kid and used to write messages using the Caesar cipher, except way more sophisticated (and less likely to get caught by your parents).
So why would anyone want to use Base 64 Encoding Algorithm? Well, for starters, it can be really useful if you need to send data over a network or store it in a database. The reason is that this algorithm allows you to compress the data and make it more efficient to transmit or store. It’s also great for hiding sensitive information from prying eyes because even though the encoded text looks like nonsense, it can still be decoded with ease using the right tools.
Now Let’s begin exploring with how Base 64 Encoding Algorithm works. First, you need to understand that this algorithm is based on a simple principle: converting each byte of data (which represents one character) into four characters in the encoded text. This means that if your original message was 10 bytes long, it will become 40 bytes long after encoding.
To do this conversion, we use a table with 64 possible values for each character. These values are represented by letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and some special characters like ‘+’ and ‘/’. The algorithm works by taking three bytes of data at a time and converting them into four encoded characters using the following steps:
1. Divide the input data into groups of 3 bytes each. If you have less than 3 bytes left over at the end, just pad with zeros until you reach 24 bits (which is equivalent to three bytes).
2. Convert each group of 3 bytes into a single integer using bitwise operations and arithmetic shifts. This will give us a number between 0 and 65,535 (inclusive), which we can use as an index in our table.
3. Look up the corresponding character for that index in our table. If you’re working with uppercase letters only, then your table would look something like this:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 + /
If you’re working with lowercase letters only, then your table would look like this:
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ab cd ef gh ji kl mn op qr st uv wx yz 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 + /
If you’re working with both uppercase and lowercase letters, then your table would look like this:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 + /
Note that the ‘+’ and ‘/’ characters are used to represent padding in case you have less than four encoded characters at the end of your message.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each group of three bytes until all input data has been processed.
5. Join the resulting encoded text into a single string, separated by line breaks or other delimiters if necessary.
And that’s it! You now have your very own Base 64 Encoded message. To decode this message back to its original form, you can use the same algorithm in reverse order: convert each group of four encoded characters into a single integer using bitwise operations and arithmetic shifts, then divide by 3 to get the corresponding three bytes of data.
Base 64 Encoding Algorithm is not as scary or complicated as it may seem at first glance. With just a little understanding and some practice, you’ll be encoding and decoding messages like a pro in no time.