Hexkod

Hexkod is a fictional data-encoding notation used in computer science tutorials to illustrate how binary data can be represented in hexadecimal form. The name blends "hex" with a suffix common in code naming, signaling its role as a compact, text-based encoding of bytes for human readability and machine parsing.

Structure and syntax: In hexkod, data is encoded as a sequence of two-digit hexadecimal values. Each pair corresponds to one byte (00 through FF). Bytes are often shown with spaces or hyphens as separators for readability, but a canonical form presents them contiguously without separators. A prefix such as HK or 0x may be used to distinguish hexkod strings from ordinary hex literals. Some variants augment the string with a simple integrity check, such as a trailing two-digit checksum separated by a dash.

Variants and processing: Basic hexkod focuses on the two-digit pairs alone. Extended hexkod adds a length field and optional metadata tokens, enclosed in brackets, to support lightweight data descriptions. Compact hexkod omits separators entirely, trading readability for compactness. Decoding involves removing separators (if any), validating the length if provided, and converting each pair back to its corresponding byte.

Examples: A short payload might be written as 4a 7f 2b e0, HK[04]: 4a-7f-2b-e0-5d, or 4a7f2be05d in compact form. Practical use in tutorials includes illustrating endianness, checksums, and basic parsing rules.

Origin and status: Hexkod originated in educational materials as a didactic example and is not an official standard. It is commonly used in documentation, exercises, and testing datasets to demonstrate hexadecimal encoding, error checking, and simple parsers.

See also: Hexadecimal notation, Base16 encoding, Hex color codes, Data serialization.