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Documentation Core Tools Base64

API Reference

Technical reference for Base64 encoding and decoding operations.

Base64 Algorithm

Character Set

Base64 uses 64 characters to represent binary data:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/

Encoding Process

  1. Input: Binary data or text
  2. Grouping: Group into 3-byte (24-bit) chunks
  3. Conversion: Convert each 24-bit group to 4 Base64 characters
  4. Padding: Add padding if needed

Decoding Process

  1. Input: Base64 encoded string
  2. Validation: Verify valid Base64 format
  3. Conversion: Convert 4-character groups to 3-byte chunks
  4. Output: Original binary data or text

Output Formats

Standard Base64

  • Format: Traditional Base64 encoding
  • Padding: Uses = for padding
  • Characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /
  • Use Case: General purpose encoding

Example:

Input: "Hello"
Output: "SGVsbG8="

URL-Safe Base64

  • Format: Modified Base64 for URLs
  • Padding: No padding characters
  • Characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, -, _
  • Use Case: URL parameters, filenames

Example:

Input: "Hello"
Output: "SGVsbG8"

Base64 Without Padding

  • Format: Standard Base64 without padding
  • Padding: No padding characters
  • Characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /
  • Use Case: Specific applications

Example:

Input: "Hello"
Output: "SGVsbG8"

Character Encoding

  • Standard: Unicode Transformation Format
  • Support: All Unicode characters
  • Compatibility: Widely supported
  • Use Case: International text

ASCII

  • Range: 0-127 characters
  • Support: Basic Latin characters
  • Compatibility: Universal support
  • Use Case: English text only

Latin-1 (ISO-8859-1)

  • Range: 0-255 characters
  • Support: Western European characters
  • Compatibility: Good support
  • Use Case: European languages

File Processing

Supported File Types

  • Images: PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, SVG, BMP
  • Documents: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF
  • Archives: ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ
  • Audio: MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC
  • Video: MP4, AVI, MOV, WMV
  • Any Binary: All file types supported

File Size Limits

  • Maximum Size: 10MB per file
  • Memory Usage: Optimized for large files
  • Processing: Chunked processing for efficiency

Error Handling

Common Errors

  • Invalid Base64: Malformed Base64 string
  • File Too Large: Exceeds size limits
  • Unsupported Format: Invalid file type
  • Encoding Error: Character encoding issues

Error Messages

  • User-Friendly: Clear error descriptions
  • Actionable: Suggests solutions
  • Non-Technical: Easy to understand
  • Helpful: Provides guidance

Performance Specifications

Processing Speed

  • Text: Real-time processing
  • Small Files: < 1 second
  • Large Files: Depends on size and complexity
  • Optimization: Efficient algorithms used

Memory Usage

  • Minimal: Low memory footprint
  • Efficient: Optimized for performance
  • Cleanup: Automatic memory management
  • Limits: Respects browser limitations

Browser Compatibility

Supported Browsers

  • Chrome: Full support
  • Firefox: Full support
  • Safari: Full support
  • Edge: Full support
  • Mobile: iOS Safari, Chrome Mobile

Required Features

  • File API: For file uploads
  • Clipboard API: For copy functionality
  • ES6+: Modern JavaScript features
  • Web Workers: For large file processing

Integration Examples

JavaScript

// Encode
const encoded = btoa('Hello World');
console.log(encoded); // "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ="

// Decode
const decoded = atob('SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=');
console.log(decoded); // "Hello World"

Python

import base64

# Encode
encoded = base64.b64encode(b'Hello World').decode('utf-8')
print(encoded)  # "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ="

# Decode
decoded = base64.b64decode('SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=').decode('utf-8')
print(decoded)  # "Hello World"

PHP

// Encode
$encoded = base64_encode('Hello World');
echo $encoded; // "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ="

// Decode
$decoded = base64_decode('SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=');
echo $decoded; // "Hello World"

This API reference provides the technical foundation for understanding and implementing Base64 operations effectively.

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