Encoding algorithms and their usage (suggestion)

[b4d_bl0ck]

Hi all boys and girls, I'm searching deeper in the various encoding algorithms and their typical usage.
Could you suggest me a good source of information (books/papers/websites) in which they are explained in detail, maybe with a special attention to the IT Security field?
Which are "well-known" and "most-used" encoding algorithms? Do you know good documentation about that?
Wish someone more experienced on the argument could help...

Thanks for your tips  ;)

[ostendali]

Here are some common hashing algorithms:
md4/5, sha, ripemd, whirlpool, tiger, snefru, gost, adler32, crc32, haval

And encryption algorithms such as:
3DES, ARCFOUR, BLOWFISH, CAST_256, CRYPT, DES, DES_COMPAT, ENIGMA, GOST, IDEA,
LOKI97, MARS, PANAMA, RIJNDAEL, RC6_256, SAFER64, SAFER128, SAFERPLUS,
SERPENT, SKIPJACK, TEAN, THREEWAY, TRIPLEDES, TWOFISH, WAKE, XTEA,

Enjoy with google to get documentation you want for any of above algorithms.

[b4d_bl0ck]

Hi ostendali,
thanks for replying,  but that's not what I was looking for... Certainly I have not asked the question in the right way, basing on the differences between encryption and encoding so... sorry ::).
What I'm interested in, are the various ancoding algorithms (like base64 or also the ones used, for example, by the metasploit framework), for which applications they are used, if only as payload/malicious_software obfuscators, or also for general purpose applications, if they can be recognized in their output and then reversed, or if they have to be guessed by attempts...
These are some of the questions I have in mind, and also if googling around I've found some informations, I was wondering if you have studied on good resources about the argument that explains these things in a structured and detailed way.

Thanks again for reading and replying.