Base32 encoding/decoding ES module for JavaScript

Base 32 is between hexadecimal notation and Base 64 encoding. It's intended to be a human-friendly -- you don't have to worry about punctuation, capitalization, or letters/numbers that are easy to confuse, making it easier to transmit in handwriting or over the phone.

One of the primary purposes is to have aesthetically pleasing SHA1 hashes. Compare:

• Hex: 17057684bea1f9331418b633a8f373119d765fd4
• B64: FwV2hL6h+TMUGLYzqPNzEZ12X9Q=
• B32: RJ56_U1WM_LTT5_3TQH_K4P0_YJ4L_UTKD_3ZZZ_ZW

Try giving out the Base 64 hash over the phone! "lowercase 'x', capital 'E', underscore, lowercase 'p', ..." Base 32 will work the same with upper- or lowercase, you can mistake a number for a similar-looking letter, and it will still decode to the same data.

Getting started

In your code:

import { Base32 } from "https://code4fukui.github.io/Base32/Base32.js";

const encoded = Base32.encode(new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3, 4]));
console.log(encoded);
const decoded = Base32.decode(encoded);
console.log(decoded);

const key = new Uint8Array(32); // 32byte -> 64chars or 52chars
crypto.getRandomValues(key);
const encoded = Base32.encode(key);
console.log(encoded); // MNNU_1LKG_6R29_Z5JM_ZT25_01DH_850E_PWK0_XR2D_L5DP_KAK3_9EWV_V2T0 // 64chars
const encoded2 = Base32.encode(key, false);
console.log(encoded2); // MNNU1LKG6R29Z5JMZT2501DH850EPWK0XR2DL5DPKAK39EWVV2T0 // 52chars

Warning: this is a Base 32 implementation, not the Base 32 implementation

There are about (128 choose 32) different specifications of something called "Base 32" - see Wikipedia for some of them.

This is just one that should be simple, less error-prone.

Minispec

• The encoding alphabet consists of the numerals 0-9 and the letters A-Z, excluding a few letters that might look like numbers, which we simply interpret as follows:

  • I -> 1
  • B -> 8
  • O -> 0
  • S -> 5

• Each character corresponds to 5 bits of input.

• Lexicographic order of strings is preserved through Base 32 encoding.

Todo

• fix workflow for auto test

Formalia

Under MIT License.

Fork as much as you like, I'm more than amenable to pull requests. I'm trying to keep it reasonably node-ish, so bear that in mind.