# stolen from this stack overflow answer and modified: https://stackoverflow.com/a/1119769

alphabet = "0123"

def encode(num):
    """Encode a positive number into Base X and return the string.

    Arguments:
    - `num`: The number to encode
    - `alphabet`: The alphabet to use for encoding
    """
    if num == 0:
        return alphabet[0]
    arr = []
    arr_append = arr.append  # Extract bound-method for faster access.
    _divmod = divmod  # Access to locals is faster.
    base = len(alphabet)
    while num:
        num, rem = _divmod(num, base)
        arr_append(alphabet[rem])
    arr.reverse()
    return ''.join(arr)

def decode(string):
    """Decode a Base 4 encoded string into the number

    Arguments:
    - `string`: The encoded string
    - `alphabet`: The alphabet to use for decoding
    """
    base = len(alphabet)
    strlen = len(string)
    num = 0

    idx = 0
    for char in string:
        power = (strlen - (idx + 1))
        num += alphabet.index(char) * (base ** power)
        idx += 1

    return num