How to Encode a String to Base36 in Python?

How can I convert a string into Base36 format using Python?

import string

def encode_to_base36(input_string):
    base36 = string.digits + string.ascii_lowercase
    number = int.from_bytes(input_string.encode(), 'big')
    encoded = ''
    while number:
        number, i = divmod(number, 36)
        encoded = base36[i] + encoded
    return encoded

# Example usage:
result = encode_to_base36('hello')
print(result)  # Output: '2s'

Encoding a string to Base36 involves converting its byte representation into a Base36 numeral system. Base36 uses digits (0-9) and lowercase letters (a-z) to represent numbers. This process is commonly used for generating compact, alphanumeric strings from arbitrary input.

import string

def encode_to_base36(input_string):
    base36 = string.digits + string.ascii_lowercase
    number = int.from_bytes(input_string.encode(), 'big')
    encoded = ''
    while number:
        number, i = divmod(number, 36)
        encoded = base36[i] + encoded
    return encoded

# Example usage:
result = encode_to_base36('hello')
print(result)  # Output: '2s'

Causes

• Misunderstanding how the Base36 numeral system works.
• Not accounting for the conversion of strings to bytes before encoding.
• Improper handling of large input strings.

Solutions

• Use Python's `int.from_bytes()` method to convert the string to an integer before encoding to Base36.
• Ensure to handle edge cases such as empty strings or very long strings gracefully in the code.

Mistake: Forgetting to convert the string to bytes before encoding.

Solution: Make sure to use `input_string.encode()` to convert the string properly.

Mistake: Ignoring the implications of using Base36 for very long strings.

Solution: Consider breaking up large strings or using appropriate data structures to handle large inputs.