LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Hexadecimal
built 163 days ago
Hexadecimal, in mathematics and computer science, is a base-16 numbering system using 10 digits (0 through 9) and six letters (A through F). Used in the computer world as a shorthand way to write binary numbers, by substituting one hex digit for a four-digit binary number (for example, hex 9 = binary 1001). International Business Machines (IBM) introduced the current hexadecimal system to the computing world. An earlier version, using the digits 0–9 and the letters u–z, had been previously introduced in 1956.
Source:
Hexadecimal is a virus of incredible power and unpredictable insanity. She is the undisputed Queen of Chaos, programed to cause chaos and malfunction within a computer program. Hexadecmal's face is a white mask that changes from one expression to the other without moving her lips when she talks. It changes as frequently as her unpredictable emotions do.
Source:
Hexadecimal operates the same way. Each digit is "weighted" by a "multiplier," with the results all added together. The multipliers in both systems are the powers of the system base (10 or 16). The powers of 10 are 1, 10, 100, 1000, etc. while those of 16 are 1, 16, 256, 4096, etc. So the same digits "5826" used in base 16 represent a value calculated as follows:
Source:
Hexadecimal calculations are done by specifying a base-16 prefix for such numbers. Indeed, AddUp reads numbers expressed in any number base from 2 to 36. A number is in a base other than 10 when it is prefixed by its base value and a single quote. Base-2 (binary) numbers use a 2' prefix, base-8 (octal) numbers use an 8' prefix, base-3 numbers use a 3' prefix, and so on. For hexadecimal (base-16) numbers, this means using a 16' prefix before the number. So hexadecimal number FF (decimal 255) is written as 16'FF while hexadecimal 7C (decimal 123) is written as 16'7C.
Source:
Hexadecimal was born from the virus Gigabyte. When the scientist Welman Matrix activated his new experiment, the Gateway Command, it brought Gigabyte to Mainframe's Twin City. He damaged the Gateway and it exploded, destroying the city and splitting Gigabyte into two new viruses, Hexadecimal and her brother Megabyte. Gigabyte's transfinite power reserves, teleportation, ability to fly, portal forming abilities, and many other powers went to Hexadecimal. Megabyte received Gigabytes intelligent mind. He would love to control his sisters amazing power.
Source:
Hexadecimal is sometimes used in programmer jokes because certain words can be formed using only hexadecimal digits. Some of these words are "dead", "beef", "babe", and with appropriate substitutions "c0ffee". Since these are quickly recognizable by programmers, debugging setups sometimes initialize memory to them to help programmers see when something has not been initialized. Some people add an H after a number if they want to show that it is written in hexadecimal. In older Intel assembly syntax, this is sometimes the case. "Hexspeak" may be the forerunner of the modern web parlance of "1337speak"
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Hexadecimal