Code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:10, 17 January 2025

Revision as of 12:36, 11 April 2025

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In [[communication]]s and [[Data processing|information processing]], '''code''' is a system of rules to convert [[information]]—such as a [[letter (alphabet)|letter]], [[word]], sound, image, or [[gesture]]—into another form, sometimes [[data compression|shortened]] or [[secrecy|secret]], for communication through a [[communication channel]] or storage in a [[storage medium]]. An early example is an invention of [[language]], which enabled a person, through [[speech]], to communicate what they thought, saw, heard, or felt to others. But speech limits the range of communication to the distance a voice can carry and limits the audience to those present when the speech is uttered. The invention of [[writing]], which converted spoken language into [[visual system|visual]] [[symbol]]s, extended the range of communication across space and [[time]].

The process of '''encoding''' converts information from a [[communication source|source]] into symbols for communication or storage. '''Decoding''' is the reverse process, converting code symbols back into a form that the recipient understands, such as English or/and, Spanish, etc.

One reason for coding is to enable communication in places where ordinary [[plain language]], spoken or written, is difficult or impossible. For example, [[semaphore]], where the configuration of [[Flag semaphore|flags]] held by a signaler or the arms of a [[semaphore line|semaphore tower]] encodes parts of the message, typically individual letters, and numbers. Another person standing a great distance away can interpret the flags and reproduce the words sent.