DEV Community: Nattee Kotsomnuan

Why Base64 Encoding is More Useful Than You Think

Nattee Kotsomnuan — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 06:35:08 +0000

If you’ve ever worked with web development, APIs, or security tokens, chances are you’ve bumped into Base64 encoding — maybe without even realizing it.

For many developers, Base64 is just that weird output when you “convert an image to text.” But in reality, it’s a powerful and practical tool for solving everyday problems in software development.
What is Base64, Really?
Base64 is a way to represent binary data as plain text using 64 characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /) plus = for padding.

This makes it safe to send binary files (like images, PDFs, or ZIP archives) over channels that only support text — such as JSON, XML, or email.
Example:

Hello → SGVsbG8=

When I Use Base64 in Real Life
Embedding images in HTML/CSS
Great for small icons or SVGs without extra HTTP requests.

Sending files in JSON APIs
Some APIs require you to Base64 encode a file before sending.

JWT token debugging
Both the header and payload in JWTs are Base64URL-encoded JSON objects.

Storing binary inside config files
Helpful when working with systems that can’t store raw binary data.

The Downsides You Should Know
Increases size by ~33% compared to raw binary.

It’s not encryption — don’t treat it as a security feature.

Large files might cause performance issues if handled entirely as Base64.

Base64 Examples in Different Languages
JavaScript

// Encode
const text = "Hello World";
const encoded = btoa(text);
console.log(encoded); // SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=

// Decode
const decoded = atob(encoded);
console.log(decoded); // Hello World

Python

import base64

# Encode
text = "Hello World"
encoded = base64.b64encode(text.encode()).decode()
print(encoded)  # SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=

# Decode
decoded = base64.b64decode(encoded).decode()
print(decoded)  # Hello World

PHP

<?php
// Encode
$text = "Hello World";
$encoded = base64_encode($text);
echo $encoded; // SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=

// Decode
$decoded = base64_decode($encoded);
echo $decoded; // Hello World
?>

My Favorite Tool for Base64
If you ever need quick Base64 encoding/decoding without writing scripts, I recommend Base64Kit.com.

It’s:

100% client-side (your data stays in your browser).

Works with both text ↔ Base64 and file ↔ Base64.

Has a clean, mobile-friendly UI.

Final Thoughts
Base64 might look like gibberish, but once you understand its purpose, it becomes one of those “always handy” tools in your developer toolkit.

Next time you need to transfer binary data through a text-only channel, think Base64 — and save yourself a few headaches.

Generating PDF from ABAP SmartForm with a Custom Filename

Nattee Kotsomnuan — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 00:30:09 +0000

If you’ve ever worked with SAP SmartForms, you probably know how easy it is to generate beautiful, print-ready documents directly from your ABAP programs. But what if you need to automatically save that SmartForm output as a PDF file — and not just any PDF, but one with a custom filename defined at runtime?

In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the process of:

Calling the SmartForm programmatically.

Converting the output to PDF.

Downloading the file with your own custom filename.

Let’s get started.

Get the SmartForm Function Module Name Before calling a SmartForm, we need its generated function module name. This can be retrieved with SSF_FUNCTION_MODULE_NAME.

DATA: lv_fm_name      TYPE rs38l_fnam,
      lv_bin_filesize TYPE i,
      lt_pdf_content  TYPE TABLE OF solix.

CALL FUNCTION 'SSF_FUNCTION_MODULE_NAME'
  EXPORTING
    formname = 'Z_MY_SMARTFORM'
  IMPORTING
    fm_name  = lv_fm_name.

Call the SmartForm and Get the PDF Output We’ll call the SmartForm’s function module with parameters that tell it to generate PDF output (PDF1).

DATA: ls_job_output TYPE ssfcrescl.

CALL FUNCTION lv_fm_name
  EXPORTING
    control_parameters-no_dialog = 'X'
    output_options-tdprinter     = 'PDF1'
    user_settings                = 'X'
  IMPORTING
    job_output_info              = ls_job_output
  EXCEPTIONS
    OTHERS                       = 1.

lt_pdf_content = ls_job_output-otfdata.

Convert OTF to PDF The SmartForm output is initially in OTF format. We’ll convert it to PDF binary using CONVERT_OTF.

DATA: lt_pdf_bin  TYPE TABLE OF solix,
      lv_pdf_size TYPE i.

CALL FUNCTION 'CONVERT_OTF'
  EXPORTING
    format                = 'PDF'
  IMPORTING
    bin_filesize          = lv_pdf_size
  TABLES
    otf                   = lt_pdf_content
    lines                 = lt_pdf_bin
  EXCEPTIONS
    err_conv_not_possible = 1
    OTHERS                = 2.

Download the PDF with a Custom Filename Now that we have our PDF binary, we can download it to the local machine with a dynamic filename.

DATA: lv_filename TYPE string.

lv_filename = |C:\Temp\Invoice_{ sy-datum }.pdf|.

CALL FUNCTION 'GUI_DOWNLOAD'
  EXPORTING
    bin_filesize = lv_pdf_size
    filename     = lv_filename
    filetype     = 'BIN'
  TABLES
    data_tab     = lt_pdf_bin
  EXCEPTIONS
    OTHERS       = 1.

Final Thoughts
With just a few function calls, you can:

Retrieve the SmartForm’s generated function module name.

Call it to produce PDF output directly.

Convert and download the PDF with a filename of your choice.

This approach is perfect for automated processes, batch jobs, or scenarios where users shouldn’t have to manually save files themselves.

If you’re working in environments where file access is restricted (like web-based SAP GUI), consider adapting this approach to store the PDF in an application server directory or send it via email automatically.

Related Resources

Official SAP Documentation for SmartForms
Base64 Converter Online Tool – Useful if you want to convert your generated PDF to Base64 for API transfers.

🚀 Base64Kit: A Lightning-Fast, Privacy-First Web Tool with Perfect Lighthouse Score!

Nattee Kotsomnuan — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 14:49:32 +0000

Hey Dev Community 👋

I recently built Base64Kit — a clean, fast, privacy-focused tool for Base64 encoding and decoding directly in your browser. It supports both text and files (like images and PDFs), drag & drop, instant preview, and no ads or tracking whatsoever.

🔥 And here's the best part — We just scored a perfect 100 on Google PageSpeed Insights!
📱 Mobile Score:

Performance: 100

Accessibility: 98

Best Practices: 100

SEO: 100

🧠 Why it matters:
I designed Base64Kit with:

⚡ Instant client-side performance (no server calls)

🔐 Full privacy (everything stays in your browser)

🌗 Dark/light mode toggle

🧩 Clean UX without distractions

📰 RSS Feed & open-source roadmap coming soon

If you're working with Base64 or just love simple tools that do one thing well, check it out → Base64Kit

Would love feedback, suggestions, or collaboration!
https://pagespeed.web.dev/analysis/https-base64kit-com/h786xw6gc3?form_factor=mobile

Cheers 🚀

I Built a Fast, Privacy-Friendly Base64 Tool for Developers — No Ads, Just Pure Utility

Nattee Kotsomnuan — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 14:45:10 +0000

Hey Dev Community 👋

I've built a fast, clean, and privacy-focused tool for Base64 encoding and decoding. It's designed for developers who often need to quickly convert files or strings — without being bombarded by ads or tracking.

👉 Try it here: https://base64kit.com
🔧 Features

🔁 Encode and decode any file (images, PDFs, etc.)
🧾 Plain text encoding with live preview
⚡ Instant results, drag & drop support
🌓 Dark mode + light mode
🧘‍♀️ No ads, no analytics, no cookies
📰 RSS feed for blog updates (more articles coming!) 🎯 Why I built this Most online Base64 tools are either:
Overloaded with ads
Tracking users unnecessarily
Not responsive or dev-friendly So I created Base64Kit — built with developer ergonomics in mind, and zero distractions. ### 🚀 What's next?
Planning to open-source parts of the project
Adding new tools (e.g. Base64 to Image, Validators)
Publishing blog articles about how Base64 works under the hood Would love feedback, bug reports, or just a visit from you 🙏 Happy encoding! 👉 https://base64kit.com

I Built a Fast, Privacy-Friendly Base64 Tool for Developers — No Ads, Just Pure Utility

Nattee Kotsomnuan — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 09:15:07 +0000

Hey Dev Community 👋

👉 Try it here: https://base64kit.com
🔧 Features

🔁 Encode and decode any file (images, PDFs, etc.)
🧾 Plain text encoding with live preview
⚡ Instant results, drag & drop support
🌓 Dark mode + light mode
🧘‍♀️ No ads, no analytics, no cookies
📰 RSS feed for blog updates (more articles coming!) 🎯 Why I built this Most online Base64 tools are either:
Overloaded with ads
Tracking users unnecessarily
Not responsive or dev-friendly So I created Base64Kit — built with developer ergonomics in mind, and zero distractions. ### 🚀 What's next?
Planning to open-source parts of the project
Adding new tools (e.g. Base64 to Image, Validators)
Publishing blog articles about how Base64 works under the hood Would love feedback, bug reports, or just a visit from you 🙏 Happy encoding! 👉 https://base64kit.com