Number Base Converter

Computers store all data as binary (base 2), but programmers frequently need to read and write numbers in other bases — decimal (base 10) for everyday math, hexadecimal (base 16) for memory addresses and colors, and octal (base 8) for Unix file permissions.

Decimal (base 10) uses digits 0–9 and is what we use in everyday life. Binary (base 2) uses only 0 and 1 — the native language of computer hardware. Hexadecimal (base 16) uses 0–9 and A–F; each hex digit represents exactly 4 bits, making it a compact way to read binary values. Octal (base 8) uses 0–7; each octal digit represents 3 bits and is commonly used for Unix permission masks.

For example, the decimal value 255 is 0xFF in hex, 0b11111111 in binary, and 0377 in octal. All four represent the same value — the base just determines how it is written.