Binary
Definition of Binary
Binary (base-2) represents values using only the digits 0 and 1. Each binary digit (bit) maps to a physical switch state - on/off, high voltage/low voltage. The letter A in ASCII is decimal 65, which in binary is 01000001 - seven meaningful bits.
Convert between binary and text with our binary-to-ASCII tool or use the base converter to switch between binary, decimal, hex, and octal. In practice, programmers rarely work with raw binary strings. Hex is the preferred shorthand: each hex digit maps to exactly 4 bits, so the 8-bit byte 01000001 becomes 0x41 - much easier to read in memory dumps, network traces, and color codes.
Convert between binary and text with our binary-to-ASCII tool or use the base converter to switch between binary, decimal, hex, and octal. In practice, programmers rarely work with raw binary strings. Hex is the preferred shorthand: each hex digit maps to exactly 4 bits, so the 8-bit byte 01000001 becomes 0x41 - much easier to read in memory dumps, network traces, and color codes.