Base64 Encoding Binary Files in Python

Base64 encoding is a process of converting binary data into a ASCII string format. This is useful when transferring binary files such as images or documents over text-based protocols like HTTP.

In Python, you can use the base64 module to perform base64 encoding of binary files. Here’s an example of how to do this:

import base64

with open('file.jpg', 'rb') as binary_file:
    binary_data = binary_file.read()
    base64_encoded_data = base64.b64encode(binary_data)
    base64_string = base64_encoded_data.decode('utf-8')

print(base64_string)
	

In this example, we opened a binary file ‘file.jpg’ in read (‘rb’) mode and read its contents into binary_data variable. We then used the base64.b64encode() function to encode the binary data into base64 format. Finally, we decoded the base64 data into a UTF-8 string using the decode() method.

You can then use this base64 string to transmit the binary file as text data over a network or store it in a database.

Base64 encoding is also useful for embedding binary data in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. For example, you can use base64-encoded images in HTML <img> tags like this:

<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64, {base64_string}" />
	

This will display the image without the need for a separate image file. Similarly, you can use base64-encoded binary data in CSS for background images, or in JavaScript for embedding files in web applications.

Base64 encoding is a simple and effective way to transfer and embed binary data in text-based formats. It’s widely supported and easy to use, making it a versatile tool for handling binary files in Python and web development.