Based x 64 (Sunglasses Emoji)

July 6th, 2016

The vast majority of humans do math in Base 10; we've got 10 symbols (0-9), and all our numbers come from those 10 symbols in differing combinations. The binary language that computers understand is in Base 2, comprised of only 0's and 1's. Base 64, by contrast, utilizes uppercase A-Z, lowercase a-z, 0-9, '+', and '/' which adds up to 64 different characters. We use Base 64 as a method of encoding large sets of data. Computers sometimes misinterpret binary strings, but Base 64 ensures that data is rendered correctly for the end user. Currently, I'm using it to cache HTML5 canvases for my new web app, SoundSword. Base16, aka Hexadecimal, is less efficient then using Base64, so that's why I'm using it. It works well and loads my canvases much faster than redrawing them every time the page loads. I originally made the mistake of storing the Base 64 strings in my MySQL database, but the cached images can take up 100,000 characters of code or more; reading them from the database could cause a serious strain on the network. Now I store the cached files in a directory. Which brings me to my next challenge: storing audio files. While a directory has more than enough storage for tiny canvases, audio files comprise millions of characters of code in Base 64. Even the limp melody of a Taylor Swift song would cause the browser to run out of memory and crash. I've got a couple of ideas, but I'm not sure they will work.