Ok I see, but that doesn't strike me as different in kind, is it? I.e. bytes to 6-bit sequences for which there is a mapping table. Now you have a string of 6 s

Ok I see, but that doesn't strike me as different in kind, is it? I.e. bytes to 6-bit sequences for which there is a mapping table. Now you have a string of 6 symbol sequences. Then divide the string into 8 symbol sequences and map each to a character (again via mapping table). Ignoring padding rules, its two mappings, one followed by the other?