Convert Hexadecimal to Binary()

Step 1: Understanding the Problem

Before we start coding, it's important to understand what we want to achieve. We need a function that will convert a hexadecimal number, which is a number in base 16, to a binary number, which is a number in base 2.

This is done by first converting the hexadecimal number to a decimal (base 10) number and then convert that decimal number to binary.

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Step 2: Convert Hexadecimal to Decimal

First, we'll create a simple static function in Java that will convert a string representing a hexadecimal number to a decimal number. To achieve this, we will be using the Integer.parseInt method from the Integer class, which can convert a string representation of a number in a certain radix (or base) to its decimal equivalent.

public static int convertHexadecimalToDecimal(String hex) {
   return Integer.parseInt(hex, 16);
}

Step 3: Convert Decimal to Binary

After converting the hexadecimal number to a decimal number, the next step is to convert that decimal number to a binary number. We can achieve this by using the toBinaryString method from the Integer class in Java.

public static String convertDecimalToBinary(int decimal) {
   return Integer.toBinaryString(decimal);
}

Step 4: Create the Main Conversion Method

Now, we will create a main method that will accept a hexadecimal number as a string and return its binary representation. This method will use the two methods we've defined before.

public static String convertHexadecimalToBinary(String hex) {
   int decimal = convertHexadecimalToDecimal(hex);
   return convertDecimalToBinary(decimal);
}

Step 5: Conclusion

We have now a functioning method that can convert a hexadecimal number to a binary number. This has been achieved by breaking down the problem into smaller, more manageable tasks: converting hexadecimal to decimal, and then decimal to binary.

Here's the entire code snippet:

public class Main {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
       String hex = "1A3";
       String binary = convertHexadecimalToBinary(hex);
       System.out.println(binary);
   }

   public static int convertHexadecimalToDecimal(String hex) {
       return Integer.parseInt(hex, 16);
   }

   public static String convertDecimalToBinary(int decimal) {
       return Integer.toBinaryString(decimal);
   }

   public static String convertHexadecimalToBinary(String hex) {
       int decimal = convertHexadecimalToDecimal(hex);
       return convertDecimalToBinary(decimal);
   }
}