Understanding Base64 Encoding: When and Why to Use It

Base64 encoding is a method of converting binary data into ASCII text format. It's widely used in web development for various purposes.

How Base64 Works

Base64 uses 64 characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, +, /) to represent binary data. Every 3 bytes of binary data becomes 4 Base64 characters.

Common Use Cases

• Embedding images in HTML/CSS (data URIs)
• Sending binary data in JSON APIs
• Email attachments (MIME)
• Storing binary data in databases