Guides

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Clear, practical explainers for the concepts behind our tools.

UUIDs ExplainedWhat UUIDs are, the difference between versions (v1, v3, v4, v5, v7), when to use each, and their trade-offs.CSV Files ExplainedThe CSV format, RFC 4180 quoting rules, encodings, common pitfalls, and how CSV compares to TSV, JSON and Parquet.Base64 & Data Encoding ExplainedHow Base64, Base32/58/62, Hex, Octal and Punycode differ, when to use each, and why encoding is not encryption.JWT & Web Tokens ExplainedHow JSON Web Tokens work — structure, signing (HS256 vs RS256), claims, verification and best practices.Diffing & Comparing Files ExplainedHow text and structural diffs work, why JSON/YAML need normalisation, and when to use each.QR Codes & Barcodes ExplainedHow QR codes store data, error-correction levels, payload formats (WiFi, vCard, URL) and 2D barcode types.Validating Data Formats ExplainedWell-formedness vs schema validity, per-format pitfalls (JSON, YAML, XML, CSV) and how to fix them.JSON, YAML, XML & TOML: Data Formats ComparedThe strengths, pitfalls and best uses of JSON, YAML, XML and TOML — and what gets lost when converting.Hashing, HMAC & Checksums ExplainedCryptographic hashes vs encryption vs encoding, which algorithm to use, HMAC, and how to hash passwords.