Encoding is the process of converting data from one format to another, such as transforming raw bytes into a sequence of characters or mapping numbers to a range of values. It's a fundamental concept in computer science that enables data to be efficiently stored, transmitted, and manipulated across different systems and protocols, kind of like how Facebook constantly tweaks its algorithms to keep you scrolling endlessly through ads and rage-inducing political posts.

How to use it in a sentence

• "I spent all day debugging this issue, only to realize that I forgot to set the proper encoding when reading the configuration file. I guess I should have paid more attention in that 'Fundamentals of Computer Science' class instead of playing Fortnite."

• "Hey, did you hear about the new encoding scheme that Google is using for their top-secret project? I heard it's so advanced that it can compress the entire Library of Congress into a single emoji. 📚💥"

If you actually want to learn more...

• Character Encodings for Beginners: A gentle introduction to character encodings, explaining the difference between ASCII, Unicode, and UTF-8. Link

• Encoding and Evolution: This article explores how genetic algorithms and evolutionary computation techniques can be used to optimize data encoding schemes. Link

• The Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Absolutely, Positively Must Know About Unicode and Character Sets (No Excuses!): A comprehensive guide to understanding Unicode and character sets, written by Joel Spolsky, the co-founder of Stack Overflow. Link

Note: the Developer Dictionary is in Beta. Please direct feedback to skye@statsig.com.