base64encodning

Base64encodning is a method for representing binary data in printable ASCII text by mapping every 6 bits of input to a single character from a 64-character alphabet. The common alphabet uses the uppercase letters A–Z, the lowercase letters a–z, digits 0–9, and the symbols + and /. It is a reversible encoding, not a form of encryption, and is intended to enable safe transmission or storage through systems that are designed for text rather than raw binary data.

The encoding process groups input bytes into blocks of three (24 bits) and converts them into four 6-bit values, each of which selects a character from the alphabet. If the final block contains one or two bytes, padding with one or two equals signs (=) is added to produce a multiple of four characters. As a result, base64encodning increases the data size by about one third.

Variants and compatibility: The standard base64 uses the + and / symbols; a URL-safe variant replaces these with - and _ and may omit padding in some contexts. The scheme is defined in RFC 4648 and is implemented in many programming languages and tools.

Typical uses: Embedding binary data in text-based formats such as email MIME, JSON, XML, or HTML data URLs; transmitting binary payloads over protocols that are ASCII-oriented; providing a convenient textual representation for credentials in HTTP Basic authentication (though it does not provide security by itself).

Limitations: It is not a security mechanism and should not be relied upon for confidentiality. Proper decoding is required, and some contexts impose line-length limits or require handling of padding.