How to Decode ASCII in Python Using the struct Module

When working with binary data in Python, it's sometimes necessary to convert hexadecimal strings to ASCII strings. In this article, we'll explore six methods for converting a hexadecimal string to an ASCII string using Python.

The `codecs` module defines functions for encoding and decoding text with any codec. Text encodings or codecs that encode text to bytes (and decode bytes to text) are the most standard type of codecs. However, there are also custom codecs provided by Python, which can encode and decode between arbitrary data types.

To understand these methods better, let's explore how to convert a hexadecimal string to an ASCII string using the `struct` module in Python.

Using the struct Module

The `struct` module provides functions to interpret packed binary data. In this example, we'll use it to convert a hexadecimal string to a binary representation and then decode it into an ASCII string.

First, we need to import the `struct` module:

```

import struct

```

Next, let's initialize a variable `hex_string` with a hexadecimal representation of the ASCII string 'Hello World':

```

hex_string = '48656c6c6f20576f726c64'

```

Now, we can use the `int()` function to convert the hexadecimal string to an integer:

```

num = int(hex_string, 16)

```

Next, we'll use the `to_bytes()` method to convert the integer to a bytes object:

```

binary_data = num.to_bytes((num.bit_length() + 7) // 8, byteorder='big')

```

Finally, we can decode the binary data into an ASCII string using the `decode()` method:

```

ascii_string = binary_data.decode('utf-8')

```

The resulting ASCII string is 'Hello World'.

In this article, we've explored six methods for converting a hexadecimal string to an ASCII string in Python. By understanding how to use these methods, you'll gain greater flexibility when handling binary data in your Python projects.

Remember that each method has its strengths and use cases, so choose the one that best suits your application.

References

* `codecs` module documentation:

* `struct` module documentation:

Decode ascii python