CHARACTER ENCODING Meaning and
Definition
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Character encoding is a specific set of rules or mapping that assigns numeric values to characters. It is a fundamental concept in computer systems that enables the representation, storage, and communication of text data. Character encoding establishes a consistent and standard way to convert human-readable characters into machine-readable binary code.
In practical terms, character encoding is necessary because computers process information in binary form, which consists of only ones and zeros. Therefore, when working with text data, such as letters, numbers, symbols, or other characters, they need to be transformed into a numerical representation. This process allows computers to store, process, and transmit text easily.
Character encoding schemes utilize a unique code point for each character in a character set. Code points are numerical values assigned to each character, forming the basis of character encoding. Various encoding standards like ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange), Unicode, and UTF-8 (Unicode Transformation Format) have been developed over time to ensure compatibility across different systems and languages.
These character encoding standards determine how each character is represented in binary form, defining the mapping between the binary code and the corresponding character. This mapping facilitates the consistent interpretation and display of text across diverse computer systems, software applications, and devices.
In summary, character encoding is the process of transforming textual characters into a standardized numeric representation to enable their storage, processing, and exchange in computer systems.
Common Misspellings for CHARACTER ENCODING
- xharacter encoding
- vharacter encoding
- fharacter encoding
- dharacter encoding
- cgaracter encoding
- cbaracter encoding
- cnaracter encoding
- cjaracter encoding
- cuaracter encoding
- cyaracter encoding
- chzracter encoding
- chsracter encoding
- chwracter encoding
- chqracter encoding
- chaeacter encoding
- chadacter encoding
- chafacter encoding
- chatacter encoding
- cha5acter encoding
- cha4acter encoding
Etymology of CHARACTER ENCODING
The word "character" originated from the Greek word "kharaktēr", meaning "engraved mark" or "distinctive mark". It was borrowed into Latin as "character" and then into Old French as "caractere", which eventually became the English word "character".
The term "encoding" comes from the verb "encode", which is derived from the prefix "en-" meaning "to put into" or "to make" and the Latin word "codex" meaning "book" or "code". "Encode" initially had the meaning of transforming a message into code or converting information into a specific form for transmission or storage.
Therefore, the etymology of the term "character encoding" can be understood as the process of converting or representing characters into a specific code or format.
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