Guide to High School Computer Science
  • 💻Introduction
    • windows & Python Development
    • macOS & Python Development
    • Visual Studio Code Settings
    • Set up Github
    • Author Page
  • 🧠Prerequisite Skills
    • Keyboard Typing
    • Files & Directories
    • Use of Command Line
    • Git & GitHub
    • Markdown
    • Starting Your Python Project
  • 🐍Python Programming
    • 🍎Python Basics
      • What is Python?
      • Procedural Programming & Programming Paradigms
      • String Formatting
      • Data Types
      • Input & Output to Console
      • Working with Numbers
      • Useful Built-in Functions
      • Math & Random Module
      • Boolean Data Object
      • Comparison, Logical, and Membership Operators
      • If Statements
      • Binary Decisions
      • Multiple Decisions
      • Nested Conditions
      • [EXTRA] Bitwise Operators
      • [EXTRA] Python Style Guide
    • ⏮️Iterations
      • Introduction to While Loops
      • Infinite Loop
      • Controlling Your While Loops
      • Introduction to For Loops
      • For Loops w/ Numeric Sequences
      • For Loops w/ Strings & Lists
      • Iterable Functions w/ For Loops
    • 📦Collections
      • Strings
        • String Basics
        • String Indexing
        • String Slicing
        • String Operators & Functions
        • Basic String Methods
        • String Methods Extended
        • String Methods Document
      • Tuples & Lists
        • Tuples
        • List Basics
        • List are Mutable
        • Adding Items to a List
        • Removing Items from a List
        • Search & Reverse a List
        • List Comprehension
        • List Methods Document
      • Sets
      • Dictionary
      • How to Store Multiple Data Items
    • 💡Defining Functions
      • Functions
      • print() vs return
      • Pre-determined Arguments
      • Nested Functions
      • Map & Filter
      • [Extra] Dynamic Arguments
    • 💾File I/O
      • How to Save Text to an External File
      • Reading CSV in Python
      • Reading JSON in Python
    • 🔨Basic Python Projects
      • Basic Calculator
        • Improving the calculator
        • Exercise Set 1
        • Exercise Set 2
        • 💎Streamlit Application #1
      • Basic Password Generator
        • Exercise Set 3
        • Exercises Related to Math
        • 💎Streamlit Application #2
      • A To-Do Task List
    • ⏳Introduction to Algorithmic Thinking
      • Big-O Notation
      • Basic Algorithms
        • Linear Search
        • Binary Search
        • Basic Sorting Algorithms
      • Recursion
      • Brute Force Algorithms
      • Greedy Algorithm
        • Time on Task (CCC 2013 J4)
        • Dijkstra’s Algorithm
      • Divide and Conquer
        • Merge Sort
      • Dynamic Programming
    • 🤯Object Oriented Programming
      • Class & Objects (Definitions)
      • OOP in Python
      • Encapsulation
      • Polymorphism
      • Inheritance & Overriding
      • Override Magic Methods
      • Case Study: 2D Vectors
      • Case Study: Deck of Cards
      • Exercise
      • Abstract Data Types
      • Case Study: Static 1D Array From Java
    • Competitive Programming
      • Is This Sum Possible?
        • Is the dataset sorted?
        • Searching for a value
        • Determine if the difference between an integer from the array and the target value exists
        • Sorting Algorithms
        • Using Two Pointers
      • Two Sum - LeetCode
        • Generate all possible pairs of values
        • Subtract each value from the target, see if the difference exists in the list
      • Longest Common Prefix - LeetCode
        • Compare all possible prefixes
        • Create the longest common prefix with the direct neighbour
      • Length of Last Word - LeetCode
        • Compare all possible prefixes
      • Where can I go from one point to another?
      • Sample Outline
    • IB Recipe Book
  • 💾Python & Databases
    • Intro to Databases & Data Modeling
      • Common Data Types in SQL
      • Introduction to ERDs
      • Primary Keys and Foreign Keys
      • Database Normalization
    • What is SQL?
      • Getting Started
      • SELECT Queries
        • Selection with Conditions
        • Selection with Fuzziness
        • Selection and Sorting in Order
        • Selection without Duplicates
        • Selection with Limited Number of Outputs
      • AGGREGATE Queries
        • Counting Rows
        • Sum, Average, Min/Max Queries
        • Working with Aggregate Queries
        • Power of using Groups
        • Exercise
      • Interacting with Multiple Table
      • Inserting Data
      • External Resource
  • ☕Java Essentials
    • Basics
      • Starting Java
      • Data & Variables
      • Handling User Inputs & Type Conversion
      • Arithmetic
      • IPO Model
      • Basic Built-in Methods
      • Exercise Questions
    • Conditionals
      • Boolean Operators
      • Compare Strings
      • If Statements
      • If Else Statements
      • Making Multiple Decisions
      • Using Switch
      • Flowchart Symbols
      • Exercise Questions
    • Iterations
      • While Loops
      • For Loop
      • Exercises
    • Java Type Casting
    • Strings
      • Common String Practices
      • String Formatting
      • Java Special Characters
    • Collection
      • Arrays
      • For Each Loop
      • ArrayList
      • Exercise Questions
    • Static Methods
      • (Aside) Clearing your Console
    • Randomness in Java
    • Delayed Output in Java
    • Java Output Formatting
    • Java Style Guide
  • 🛠️JavaScript Programming
    • Our Programming Editor & Workflow
      • Hello, world!
      • Commenting & Variables
      • Data in JavaScript
      • Operators
      • String Formatting
      • Getting User Input
    • JavaScript Exercise Set 1
    • Making Decisions
      • Comparing Values
      • Combining Boolean Comparisons
      • Creating Branches
    • JavaScript Exercise Set 2
    • While Loops
      • Infinite While Loop
      • While Loops and Numbers
      • While Loops and Flags
      • While loops w/ Strings
    • JavaScript Exercise Set 3
    • Subprograms & Functions
      • Creating a Function in JavaScript
      • Function with Input and Assignable Output
    • JavaScript Exercise Set 4
  • 💾Topics in CS
    • Computer Environments & Systems
      • Computer Components
        • In-depth Explanations
      • File Maintenance
      • Computer & Safety
      • Software Development
      • Bits & Binary
    • Careers related to Computer Science
    • Postsecondary Opportunities
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  • Bit
  • Binary Number System
  • ASCII Table
  1. Topics in CS
  2. Computer Environments & Systems

Bits & Binary

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Last updated 1 year ago

Bit

In computing, a "bit" is the smallest unit of digital information and binary data representation. The term "bit" is a contraction of "binary digit." It can have one of two values: 0 or 1, which correspond to binary code for off and on, respectively. Bits serve as the fundamental building blocks for all digital data and are used to represent and process information in computers, including numbers, text, images, and more complex data structures. Collectively, a group of 8 bits forms a "byte," which is often the basic unit for representing characters or values in computer systems.

Binary Number System

A binary number system is a base-2 numeral system used in mathematics and computing. Unlike the familiar decimal system (base 10), which uses 10 digits (0 through 9), the binary system uses only two digits, 0 and 1. Each digit in a binary number represents a power of 2, with the rightmost digit representing 2^0 (1), the next digit to the left representing 2^1 (2), the next representing 2^2 (4), and so on.

Binary numbers are used extensively in digital electronics and computing because they are well-suited for representing the on-off states of electronic switches (0 for off and 1 for on). In binary, complex data like numbers, text, and images are represented as sequences of 0s and 1s, making it the fundamental language of computers. Additionally, binary operations (e.g., addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) are simpler and more efficient in electronic circuits, which is why computers use binary internally.

64 Bit Computing System

A 64-bit system is a type of computer architecture that processes data and instructions using 64-bit binary digits, offering advantages like increased memory capacity (up to millions of terabytes), enhanced computational power, and compatibility with both 32-bit and 64-bit software, making it well-suited for memory-intensive and performance-critical tasks.

ASCII Table

The ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) table is a character encoding standard used in computing and communication to represent text and control characters as binary numbers. In the ASCII table, each character is assigned a unique numerical value between 0 and 127, which corresponds to its binary representation.

This encoding allows computers to store, transmit, and process text in a consistent and standardized way, making it a fundamental component of character encoding in computing. The first 32 characters in the ASCII table are control characters, such as line feed, carriage return, and tab, while the remaining characters represent printable characters like letters, numbers, and symbols. ASCII is the basis for many other character encodings and remains widely used in computer systems and programming today.

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The ASCII Table
Harvard CS50 - Lecture 0 Binary Bulbs