Encoded

Encoded is the past participle of encode, meaning that information has been converted from one form to another according to a code, rule, or specification. Encoding changes the representation of data without inherently concealing its meaning; if the correct algorithm and keys or rules are applied, the original information can be recovered. Encoding differs from encryption, which hides meaning for security, and from compression, which reduces size.

Common types of encoding include character encodings such as ASCII and Unicode encodings (UTF-8, UTF-16) that map characters to numeric code points. Data encoding schemes convert binary data into text or other formats, enabling safe transmission or storage. Examples include base64, hexadecimal, and URL or percent encoding, often used in web protocols to ensure data remains intact through systems that handle text. Media and multimedia use codecs, which are algorithms for encoding and decoding audio and video streams.

Usage is applied to ensure compatibility across platforms, to embed binary data in text streams, or to meet transmission constraints. It is not a security measure and does not guarantee confidentiality.

Decoding is the reverse operation performed by a corresponding decoder or software library, restoring the original data from its encoded form. In multimedia, terms such as codec describe both the encoding and decoding processes for audio and video.