0x656C

0x656C is a hexadecimal literal used in computing to denote the 16-bit value 0x656C. The prefix 0x is used by many programming languages to indicate hexadecimal notation, and 0x656C equals decimal 25996.

When interpreted as text, the two-byte sequence can represent ASCII characters if treated as two bytes: 0x65 is 'e' and 0x6C is 'l'. Depending on endianness, the same 16-bit value may yield different byte orders when serialized: big-endian stores 65 6C (e l), while little-endian stores 6C 65 (l e). In Unicode, the code point U+656C exists; it represents a single character, and its appearance depends on font support.

Practical uses for hex literals like 0x656C include representing constants in source code, encoding and decoding binary data, and documenting or debugging data that is viewed at the byte level. They are also common in network protocols and file formats where specific two-byte sequences carry meaning. As with other hex values, correct interpretation requires awareness of the intended encoding and byte order.

See also: ASCII, Unicode, hex literals, endianness, memory representation, code points.