HOW DOES A COMPUTER CONVERT TEXT INTO BINARY

Before moving to know how does a computer convert text into binary, you should first
know about the binary, what it is, and why it is important for a computer.

What is a Binary Code?

Before we touch on converting binary code to text, we need to first understand how
the code works or at least have a general idea about it. As mentioned earlier, it wasn’t
until the 19th and 20th centuries when the practical use of binary codes was
discovered. In the 19th century, an 1847 paper published by George Boole outlined an
algebraic system of logic, which we now know as Boolean algebra. This system is
akin to a binary system, using a yes-no, on-off approach and consists of three basic
operations: AND, OR, and NOT. Nearly a century later, a mathematician named
Claude Shannon established a connection between Boolean algebra and electric circuit
operation in his thesis in 1937.

This paved the way for the use of the binary code in various applications like
computers, electronics, and many others. One notable application of the binary code is
the binary to text conversion, which we see in our computer monitors. The process of
inputting text typing commands and getting a display of such text on the computer
screen takes a long, complicated process if not for the super-fast processing speed of
modern computers. The letters and words that we put in are converted in machine-
readable binary codes and then converted back to a human-readable text as a display.
We don’t need to run through the whole process, but a few key concepts in the
succeeding sections will help us get the gist of how binary codes are converted into
text.

Representing data

Computers use this numerical system to store and retrieve data such as numbers,
music, pictures, words, text, etc. The term 'bit,' which refers to the smallest digital
technology unit, is derived from' BInary digiT.' In modern times, programmers utilize
the hexadecimal or base-16 number system to express binary data concisely because it
is easier for computers to convert from binary to hex and vice versa, whereas doing so
with the generally used decimal number system is far more difficult.

In the early days of computing, computers used analogue to solve issues, but this was
not as precise as binary code. Therefore, those computers were mostly converted into
digital computers that employed binary code.

Binary numbers are used in the creation of computers and related technologies.
Computers require a large number of transistors to complete their tasks. However,
using binary numerals made it easier and less costly.

All data inside a computer is transmitted as a series of electrical signals that are either
on or off. Therefore, in order for a computer to be able to process any kind of data,
including text, images and sound, they must be converted into binary form. If the data
is not converted into binary – a series of 1s and 0s – the computer will simply not
understand it or be able to process it.

Representing text

When any key on a keyboard is pressed, it needs to be converted into a binary number
so that it can be processed by the computer and the typed character can appear on the
screen. A code where each number represents a character can be used to convert text
into binary. One code we can use for this is called ASCII. Once you have the ASCII
value, you can transform it to binary. The first computer looks at our entered letter.
Then it searches those letter’s values from the ASCII value table. The whole process
of conversion from text into binary has been shown below:(Each letter takes 8 bits (1
byte) to save)

Character J A V

ASCII 74 65 86
Binary Values 01001010 01000001 01010110

The Role of ASCII Code

The binary code is not a readily convertible code, like the ones used in other
programming languages. Keying in a certain set of binary codes doesn’t automatically
convert the coded set to the prescribed character, text, or function. This is why it needs
another code called ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) to
help it become more recognizable by the computer’s system and be converted into
letters and words. In a simple analogy, ASCII can be considered as the middleman that
serves as a connection between a business and its consumers. It plays the same
intermediary role when it comes to the conversion of binary code to text and vice
versa. Thus, ASCII is an essential component of any binary translator program or
software. ASCII has assigned values that are machine-readable and recognized by
computer systems.

The ASCII values are shorter, decimal values that are equivalent to a specific
combination of binary values and letters. As an example, the computer processes the
binary 01100101 into its equivalent ASCII decimal value 101, which the computer
recognizes as the letter “e” based on ASCII standard conversion. This is then
displayed as the letter “e” on the computer screen. The same process is also followed
in online applications such as binary to text translator binary to ASCII converter and
other code conversion programs.
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