Number Base Converter

What is Number Base Converter?

A number base converter transforms values between different numeral systems: binary (base 2), octal (base 8), decimal (base 10), and hexadecimal (base 16). Each base uses different digits—binary uses 0 and 1, hex uses 0–9 and A–F—and conversion is essential for low-level programming, networking, and debugging. The tool shows the result in your target base plus an All Bases table with binary, octal, decimal, and hex side by side.

Real-world use cases include converting IP addresses or subnet masks to binary, translating hex color codes to decimal, understanding file permissions (octal, e.g. 755), debugging bitwise operations, and decoding IEEE-754 floating-point representations. The tool supports custom bases 2–36, signed/unsigned interpretation, bit-width (8/16/32/64), grouped binary (4-bit or 8-bit nibbles), and IEEE-754 decode for 32-bit and 64-bit floats—showing sign bit, exponent, and mantissa.

How to Use Number Base Converter

1. Enter a number in the Number field. Use valid digits for the source base (e.g. 0–1 for binary, 0–9 and A–F for hex).
2. Select From Base (the base of your input) and To Base (the base you want). For custom bases 2–36, choose Custom and enter the base number.
3. Click Convert or press Ctrl+Enter. The result appears in the target base, and the All Bases table shows binary, octal, decimal, and hex.
4. Use Swap Bases to reverse source and target (e.g. switch from decimal→hex to hex→decimal).
5. Open Advanced to set bit width (8/16/32/64), signed/unsigned mode, binary grouping (4-bit or 8-bit), and enable IEEE-754 floating-point decode for float/double breakdown.
6. Click Copy to copy the result. Press Ctrl+Shift+C to copy, Esc to clear.

Tips & Best Practices

Hex is commonly used for memory addresses, color codes, and network values. Prefix with 0x when entering hex if your workflow expects it. Grouped binary (8-bit) matches byte boundaries and is easier to read. Signed mode interprets the value as two's complement for the given bit width. IEEE-754 decode works when you enter a decimal float or a hex representation of a float—useful for understanding floating-point precision. Custom bases 2–36 use 0–9 and A–Z as digits. Press Esc to clear.

When to Use This Tool

Use the Number Base Converter when debugging low-level code, converting IP addresses or color codes, understanding file permissions, or decoding binary/hex data. It's ideal for systems programmers, embedded developers, and anyone working with bitwise operations. For related tasks: use the Base64 encoder for encoding binary data as text, the Unix timestamp converter for epoch time values, or the color picker converter when working with hex color codes.