Computers only understand binary language, but content formats act as interpreters to convert information into a language the computer can understand. This includes audio, video, and text files, and can also be used for encryption to protect sensitive data.
Although words displayed on a computer screen are displayed in the user’s selected language, the computer does not understand English, French, or any other modern language. At its most basic level, the computer “speaks” only in binary, which is a language made up of just two characters: “1” and “0”. A content format is the intermediary that sits between the natural code language of the computer and the output text displayed on the screen, converting the information from one to the other, facilitating the interaction between humans and machines.
Think of the role of the content format as that of the interpreter that could help you communicate with someone who speaks a foreign language. As you type information into your computer, the content format alters the characters you type into a format that your computer will understand. Also, when your computer receives raw data from a web page or program, the format of the content translates the 1s and 0s into text, displaying all the salient information provided by the web page or application. Without the content format, the information on the screen would be just a meaningless reading of the computer’s binary code.
Text view is the easiest way to understand a content format, but it is also used when viewing other types of computer information, such as audio and video files. While it may be difficult to conceptualize, computer audio and video information is transmitted through the same binary set of 1s and 0s as everything else. The content format takes those characters and converts them into sound and images, routing the information through your computer’s video and sound cards. Similarly, when you save a song or picture to your computer, the content format stores that information on your hard drive in binary format, providing an almost instantaneous “translation” whenever the file is selected.
A content format can also be used to protect sensitive data by encrypting it. Encryption is the process of encoding data; instead of translating it directly into binary language, it translates the information into a code. For example, think of a basic encryption code where numbers represent letters: where a=1, b=2, and so on. The content format does the same thing, only on a much more complex scale, protecting information from accidental or intentional interception by unauthorized parties. The strength of an encryption is typically measured by its bitrate, so a 32-bit encrypted file is stronger than a 16-bit encrypted file.
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