fromHex

fromHex is a function or method used in programming to convert a string of hexadecimal digits into a binary representation, such as a numeric value or a sequence of bytes. The name appears in multiple languages and libraries as a convenience for decoding hex-encoded data. Typical use cases include interpreting color codes, decoding binary protocols, or converting textual hex representations into raw data.

The function usually accepts a string of hex digits, often allowing an optional 0x or 0X prefix, and may ignore spaces or require strict formatting depending on the implementation. Return types vary: for a single-value input it may yield an integer; for multi-byte input it often returns a byte array or buffer. Error handling also varies across languages: invalid characters, odd lengths, or improper prefixes may raise exceptions, return null, or signal an error in different ways.

Examples in common languages illustrate the concept. In Python, a closely related operation is bytes.fromhex, which converts "4a6f" into the byte sequence 0x4a 0x6f. In JavaScript, a hex string can be converted with Buffer.from('4a6f', 'hex') to obtain a byte buffer. In other environments, fromHex may be provided as a dedicated routine or as part of a hex utility library.

Overall, fromHex decodes a hexadecimal string into its binary form, enabling manipulation of raw data, cryptographic material, or color values in software applications. See also hex encoding, parsing hex strings, and language-specific hex utilities.