Learn Number Systems for Programming & Networking

Number Systems 📊: Everything You Need to Know for Programming & Networking
Are you new to programming or cybersecurity? 🤔
The first step to understanding any programming language or network data is mastering Number Systems.

In this article, we'll cover all the main number systems: Binary, Decimal, Octal, and Hexadecimal, and explain them in a simple, practical way.

What is a Number System? 💡​

A Number System is a way to represent numbers using a set of symbols.
Each system has a Base that defines how many symbols it uses:

• Decimal (Base 10): uses numbers 0-9.
• Binary (Base 2): uses 0 and 1 only. Essential in programming and networking.
• Octal (Base 8): uses numbers 0-7.
• Hexadecimal (Base 16): uses 0-9 and letters A-F. Very important in cybersecurity.

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Why Number Systems Matter 🚀​

1. Programming: Most programming languages work internally with Binary.
2. Networking: IP addresses and Subnet Masks rely on Binary.
3. Cybersecurity: Payloads, exploits, and encoding often require understanding Hexadecimal.

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Converting Between Number Systems 🔄​

1. Decimal to Binary​

You can convert decimal numbers to binary using division by 2:

# Python example
decimal = 23
binary = bin(decimal)
print(binary)  # Output: 0b10111

2. Binary to Decimal​

Sum the powers of 2 for each digit:

binary = "10111"
decimal = int(binary, 2)
print(decimal)  # Output: 23

3. Decimal to Hexadecimal​

decimal = 255
hex_num = hex(decimal)
print(hex_num)  # Output: 0xff

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Tips for Remembering Number Systems 🧠​

• Memorize the key values:
  Binary: 0-1 | Octal: 0-7 | Decimal: 0-9 | Hex: 0-F
• Use online converters or tools to test your examples.
• Practice in Python or C to reinforce your understanding.

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Resources to Learn Number Systems 🎓​

For a hands-on course on YouTube, check out this playlist:

The course covers:

• Binary, Octal, Decimal, Hexadecimal.
• Practical exercises on conversions.
• Applications in programming and networking.

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Conclusion ✅​

Understanding Number Systems is essential for every programmer or beginner hacker.
Start with the basics, try practical exercises, and follow online courses to master them quickly. 🔥
Remember, knowing these systems will make programming, networking, and cybersecurity much easier.