What is encoding?

Encoding is the process of converting data from one format to another. This is done for various reasons, including standardization, security, and efficiency. Common examples include: character encoding (e.g., UTF-8, ASCII) for representing text, video encoding (e.g., H.264, H.265) for compressing video data, and data encoding (e.g., Base64) for transmitting binary data over text-based protocols.