Binary translator

This page translates a short string into space-separated binary code points and back. Type in the Text box and the Binary Codes box updates, or paste binary tokens on the right and the text rebuilds. Conversion is local. FlashKit does not upload the string, does not decode files, and does not need an account. The default sample is “Hello World”.

Each character becomes its Unicode code point printed in base 2. “H” is U+0048, which is 1001000 in binary. “e” is 1100101. A space is 100000. The right-hand box joins those tokens with spaces. Decoding splits on spaces or commas, parses each token with parseInt(token, 2), and uses String.fromCodePoint. Invalid tokens (a 2, a letter, an empty fragment) show an error and leave the last good text in place.

Worked example. Keep “Hello World”. You should see eleven tokens: 1001000 1100101 1101100 1101100 1101111 100000 1010111 1101111 1110010 1101100 1100100. Change the first token to 1001001 and the text becomes “Iello World” because 1001001 is “I”. That is code-point math, not a UTF-8 byte dump. The two-byte UTF-8 encoding of “é” is 11000011 10101001; this page instead prints the single code point 11101001 for U+00E9.

Use this in a classroom, a protocol note, or a quick “what is the binary for this letter?” check. It is not a hex editor for firmware, not a .bin file viewer, and not a bitwise calculator. Sibling pages print the same code points in hex, decimal, or ASCII-style decimal. Base64 is a different encoding — read the Base64 guide when you have that alphabet, not a list of 0s and 1s.

The UI matches this copy. Text is the left textarea. Binary Codes is the right textarea. A one-line hint says codes are separated by spaces and that either field updates the other. Errors appear in a red banner above the grid. There is no file picker and no endianness control. A token that starts with 0 still decodes — leading zeros are optional. Related tools: text-to-hex, text-to-ASCII, text-to-decimal, ASCII art generator.

How to Use

  1. Type or paste text in the left box. Binary code points appear on the right, separated by spaces.
  2. Or paste space-separated binary tokens in the right box to rebuild text.
  3. Fix any red error — a token that is not 0s and 1s will not decode.
  4. Copy the side you need. Use the hex, ASCII, or decimal siblings if that is the notation you actually have.
  5. Close the tab when you are done. Nothing is stored.

Key Features

  • Bidirectional text ↔ binary Unicode code points
  • Space- or comma-separated tokens; live update either side
  • Clear error when a token is not valid binary
  • Local only — no file upload and no firmware mode
  • Same family as the hex, ASCII, and decimal converters

Code points versus UTF-8 bytes

  • This page prints each character’s code point in base 2. It does not list the UTF-8 byte sequence unless those happen to match (ASCII).
  • “A” is 1000001 in both views. “€” is one code point (101000101111100) but three UTF-8 bytes.
  • Emoji that are one code point become one token. Emoji ZWJ sequences are several characters and several tokens.
  • There is no bit-width pad to 8 or 16 bits. Leading zeros are omitted the way Number.toString(2) omits them.
  • Need hex or decimal of the same points? Use the sibling converters. Need Base64? That is a different guide and not this tool.

Common ways people use this binary converter

  • Teaching how letters map to numbers before you introduce UTF-8.
  • Checking a homework token: paste the binary list and see the word.
  • Documenting a tiny protocol that speaks code points, not a file bitstream.
  • Turning a short banner idea into numbers, then visiting ASCII art if you wanted a FIGlet headline instead.
  • Debugging a “binary” paste that is actually hex — switch to the hex converter when you see A–F.

Limits and tips

  • Do not drop a firmware .bin or a PNG in here. Use a hex editor. This page is for short strings.
  • Very long pastes can freeze the tab. Split the work.
  • A token like 2 or 1002 is invalid binary and triggers the error banner.
  • Privacy: the string never leaves this tab. Still avoid pasting secrets on a shared screen.
  • Related guide: Base64 encoding for developers — useful when the alphabet you have is A–Z/a–z/0–9/+/, not 0 and 1.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I decode a .bin firmware or image file?

No. Use a hex editor. This page converts short Unicode strings to code-point binary and back.

Is this UTF-8 byte binary?

No. Each token is a Unicode code point in base 2. ASCII letters happen to match one UTF-8 byte; emoji and non-Latin letters often do not.

Why is there no leading zero padding?

Tokens use JavaScript’s toString(2), which drops leading zeros. 1000001 and 01000001 are the same number when decoded.

What separators are allowed?

Spaces or commas (or a mix). Empty fragments are skipped. Any other character inside a token is an error.

Is my text uploaded?

No. Both boxes live in this tab. Refreshing restores “Hello World”. Nothing is written to FlashKit.

When should I use hex, ASCII, or Base64 instead?

Use hex or decimal siblings for the same code points in another base. Use Base64 (see the guide) when you have that alphabet. Use ASCII art for banners, not numbers.

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