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What does base-64 mean?

Solution ID : INFO992

Last Modified : 09/17/2024

Description

Base64 is a method of encoding binary data as ASCII text. This is necessary for sending files via Internet email, which can only handle 7-bit ASCII text.

Base64 is the industry standard format for SSL certificate content. The most common web servers will generate a certificate signing requests as well as accept SSL certificates in base-64 format.

The size of the certificate content will depend on the encryption strength of the certificate.

Here is an example of a base64-encoded certificate.

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
MIIF2zCCBMOgAwIBAgIQMj8HjgweXkbwMLVJON0bgTANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQsFADCBpDELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxHTAbBgNVBAoTFFN5bWFudGVjIENvcnBvcmF0aW9uMR8wHQYDVQQLExZGT1IgVEVTVCBQVVJQT1NFUyBPTkxZMR8wHQYDVQQLExZTeW1hbnRlYyBUcnVzdCBOZXR3b3JrMTQwMgYDVQQDEytTeW1hbnRlYyBDbGFzcyAzIFNlY3VyZSBTZXJ2ZXIgVEVTVCBDQSAtIEc0MB4XDTE2MDYyODAwMDAwMFoXDTE4MDYyOTIzNTk1OVowgZIxCzAJBgNVBAYTAlVTMRMwEQYDVQQIDApDYWxpZm9ybmlhMRYwFAYDVQQHDA1Nb3VudGlhbiBWaWV3MR0wGwYDVQQKDBRTeW1hbnRlYyBDb3Jwb3JhdGlvbjEgMB4GA1UECwwXV1NTIC0gVGVjaG5pY2FsIFN1cHBvcnQxFTATBgNVBAMMDCouYmJ0ZXN0Lm5ldDCCASIwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADggEPADCCAQoCggEBANqBKkO6e/P7/PaWFX2dt+drAKhAn/LRDp62EF41aMU/XYnla18b5FzUc2dhEme17Vnv8tX5Brbo/3hr+dqPhJdfr6NbUvvlsBGUrlrpeg1ARHita2cPob7BDP2jQoWDtM36rwZBvkgz7+8BPvZqkiwqyZEe0h0l7dmNozMtt587pfLby86+tfR1rLZHnxw+DLe/+gppXiHtTMvC6mvGmlouYmX98pb/i2PnyXmoiihSqknwM74oM3zDDG3Lu0w8xCBA9Z//N0rcRGSiebrne01KgfoFREXAMPLEyrC8S0ospuMq0ybMin5Fr07P6nnC+1KblzEMLlRoGP8p48Giw9ECAwEAAEXAMPLEggITMCwGA1UdEQQlMCOCE3d3dy5zdWIxLmJidGVzdC5uZXSCDCouYmJ0ZEXAMPLEdDAJBgNVHRMEAjAAMA4GA1UdDwEB/wQEAwIFoDAdBgNVHSUEFjAUBggrBgEFBQcDAQYIKwYBBQUHAwIwYQYDVR0gBFowWDBWBgZngQwBAgIwTDAjBggrBgEFBQcCARYXaHR0cHM6Ly9kLnN5bWNiLmNvbS9jcHMwJQYIKwYBBQUHAgIwGQwXaHR0cHM6Ly9kLnN5bWNiLmNvbS9ycGEwHwYDVR0jBBgwFoAUNI9UtT8KH1K6nLJl7bqLCGcZ4AQwKwYDVR0fBCQwIjAgoB6gHIYaaHR0cDovL3NzLnN5bWNiLmNvbS9zcy5jcmwwVwYIKwYBBQUHAQEESzBJMB8GCCsGAQUFBzABhhNodHRwOi8vc3Muc3ltY2QuY29tMCYGCCsGAQUFBzAChhpodHRwOi8vc3Muc3ltY2IuY29tL3NzLmNydDASBgMrZU0ECzAJAgECAgEAAgEAMIGKBgorBgEEAdZ5AgQCBHwEegB4AHYAz3GACoQ0AjQYnozSWjcDUvuZ+2fYD8twB2c4YgBqrFkAAAFVl1jMRgAABAMARzBFAiBctH4rg/vd5UCtnYOaFaXI4HJ6S6Bk8T9GPpHENDP0NAIhANeO/2+h/1aJqPOe5uGfDqipS5wWrUUOaJpU9fuHoDJQMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBCwUAA4IBAQAuQ/MfYrDQP4PqnzEUoAm6waVZ2hm/3H80sQXDrN1O50ZNvjHNsjzwdCEu1bwFfa6b0b8P4y4nKa4aOl0/mJlq/Awfrx0uC81UIMLwmX2mZ5dbaXHKEZh2tHChnDwhZGPEKVZJ0KxOA12CTRMEOG5XHTe7Yl+wOQWm8h0ky0DY+FMT5AgcCo6IMxMbyyxotQtE/8DmwtZQytA2yqtZWq0765t6PCJSbnK6zp0aLTSwYZVij1BCDMYleiZcDvIN6Jv/ElnDwrxs1CsMwh7zY8wB8gc7GHq63BBW1hCwsDx2guDCEmbJa+ktv7EBz2BgiL6VZg+QqIFz0YSDQJfFMTi
-----END CERTIFICATE-----

The base64 alphabet

The base64 alphabet is shown in the below table. Whenever the value of a six-bit group matches one of the values in the Value columns, that value is replaced by the seven-bit ASCII value of the corresponding character shown in the Char column to the right of the Value column.

Value	Char	Value	Char	Value	Char	Value	Char
0	A	17	R	34	i	51	z
1	B	18	S	35	j	52	0
2	C	19	T	36	k	53	1
3	D	20	U	37	l	54	2
4	E	21	V	38	m	55	3
5	F	22	W	39	n	56	4
6	G	23	X	40	o	57	5
7	H	24	Y	41	p	58	6
8	I	25	Z	42	q	59	7
9	J	26	a	43	r	60	8
10	K	27	b	44	s	61	9
11	L	28	c	45	t	62	+
12	M	29	d	46	u	63	/
13	N	30	e	47	v	pad	=
14	O	31	f	48	w
15	P	32	g	49	x
16	Q	33	h	50	y