Introduction:

In this blog, we will explore the various methods to achieve the ASCII to Binary conversion using MySQL, providing step-by-step explanations, code examples, and insights along the way.

Method 1: Using CAST() Function

The CAST() function in MySQL allows us to convert one data type to another. In the context of converting ASCII to binary, we can exploit this function to achieve our goal. The following SQL query demonstrates this approach:

SELECT ASCII_CHARACTER, CAST(ASCII_CHARACTER AS BINARY) AS BINARY_REPRESENTATION FROM ASCII_TABLE;

Output:

In this method, we select the ASCII character from a table named ASCII_TABLE and utilize the CAST() function to convert the ASCII character to its binary representation. The resulting binary representation is presented as a new column named BINARY_REPRESENTATION.

Method 2: Using the BIN() Function

MySQL provides the BIN() function, which directly converts a numeric value into its binary representation. Although this function is intended for numerical values, we can leverage it to convert ASCII characters as well:

SELECT ASCII_CHARACTER, BIN(CONVERT(ASCII_CHARACTER USING latin1)) AS BINARY_REPRESENTATION FROM ASCII_TABLE;

Output:

In this method, we again query the ASCII_TABLE, but this time we use the BIN() function along with the CONVERT() function to achieve the ASCII to binary conversion. The CONVERT() function ensures that the ASCII character is treated as a numeric value, allowing us to apply BIN().

Conclusion:

Converting ASCII characters to binary representation within MySQL is a fascinating endeavor that highlights the flexibility and extensibility of this powerful database management system. In this blog, we explored various methods to accomplish this task,  like CAST() and BIN().