Editing Hex editor (section)

==Early history==
Since the invention of computers and their different uses, a variety of file formats has been created. In some special circumstances it was convenient to be able to access the data as a series of raw digits. A program called SUPERZAP (AMASPZAP) was available for IBM [[OS/360 and successors|OS/360]] systems which could edit raw disk records and also understood the format of executable files.<ref>{{cite web|title=SuperZap|url=http://foldoc.org/superzap|access-date=Jun 7, 2015}}</ref> Pairs of [[hexadecimal]] digits (each pair can represent a byte) are the current standard, because the vast majority of machines and file formats in use today handle data in units or groups of 8-bit bytes. Hexadecimal and also [[Octal#In computers|octal]] are common because these digits allow one to see which bits in a byte are set. Today, decimal instead of hexadecimal representation is becoming a popular second option due to the more familiar number base and additional helper tools, such as template systems and data inspectors, that reduce the benefits of the hexadecimal numerical format.{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}}