Converting Hexadecimal to Base64 and Back: Binary Representations
Learn the relationship between hexadecimal (Base16) and Base64 representations, and how to convert cryptographic hashes smoothly.
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In cryptography and low-level network programming, binary data is commonly represented in either Hexadecimal (Base16) or Base64. For example, a SHA-256 cryptographic digest can be rendered as 64 hex characters or 44 Base64 characters.
Data Density Comparison
- Hexadecimal (Base16): Uses 16 characters (0–9, a–f). Each hex character stores 4 bits. Two hex characters represent 1 byte. Overhead is 100% (2x original size).
- Base64: Uses 64 characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /). Each character stores 6 bits. Four characters represent 3 bytes. Overhead is only 33%.
Why Base64 Is Preferred for Large Payloads
Because Base64 is significantly more compact than Hex (33% overhead vs 100% overhead), network APIs transmit cryptographic signatures, public keys, and certificate fingerprints in Base64 rather than Hex to save bandwidth.
More Guides in Base64 & Encoding
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