PHP Program for Binary to Decimal Conversion

PHP

Binary to decimal conversion is the process of converting a binary number (base-2 number using only 0s and 1s) into its equivalent decimal number (base-10 form).

In this article, we will learn how to convert binary numbers to decimal form in PHP using different approaches.

How Binary to Decimal Conversion Works

To convert a binary number to decimal, multiply each binary digit by 2 raised to the power of its position (starting from 0 on the right), then sum all results ?

Binary to Decimal Conversion: 1011 Position: 3 2 1 0 Binary: 1 0 1 1 Calculation: 1×2³ 0×2² 1×2¹ 1×2? = 8 = 0 = 2 = 1 Result: 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 11

Method 1: Using Built-in bindec() Function

PHP provides the bindec() function to convert binary numbers directly to decimal ?

<?php
$binary = "101";

// Convert binary to decimal using bindec()
$decimal = bindec($binary);

echo "Binary $binary = Decimal $decimal";
?>
Binary 101 = Decimal 5

Method 2: Manual Conversion Using Loop

This approach manually calculates the decimal value by iterating through each binary digit ?

<?php
$binary = "1011";
$decimal = 0;
$length = strlen($binary);

// Loop through each digit from right to left
for ($i = 0; $i < $length; $i++) {
    $digit = $binary[$length - $i - 1];
    $decimal += $digit * pow(2, $i);
}

echo "Binary $binary = Decimal $decimal";
?>
Binary 1011 = Decimal 11

Method 3: Using Bitwise Left Shift

This method uses bitwise operations for efficient conversion ?

<?php
function binaryToDecimalBitwise($binary) {
    $decimal = 0;
    for ($i = 0; $i < strlen($binary); $i++) {
        $decimal = ($decimal << 1) + $binary[$i];
    }
    return $decimal;
}

$binary = "1111";
$decimal = binaryToDecimalBitwise($binary);

echo "Binary $binary = Decimal $decimal";
?>
Binary 1111 = Decimal 15

Comparison of Methods

Method Time Complexity Space Complexity Best For
bindec() O(1) O(1) Simple conversions
Manual Loop O(n) O(1) Learning algorithm
Bitwise Shift O(n) O(1) Performance critical

Conclusion

Use bindec() for simple binary to decimal conversions in PHP. For educational purposes or custom logic, implement manual conversion using loops or bitwise operations.

Updated on: 2026-03-15T10:44:37+05:30

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