Character Code
Character Code
A unique number assigned to each character so a computer can process it.
In Simple Terms
A character code is a lookup table that pairs characters with numbers, used by computers to display and store text on screen. Computers can't understand characters directly — they process all data as numbers. So a rule is set to assign a specific number to each character, converting characters into numbers. This mechanism works behind the scenes in everything from smartphone emails to websites and all kinds of digital data.
Behind the Name
The name "Character Code" combines two ideas: "Character" refers to letters, numbers, and symbols, while "Code" refers to a system of symbols or numbers used to represent something. Put together, the name describes exactly what it is — a table that converts characters into numbers a computer can work with.
Take a Closer Look!
A character code is a set of rules that assigns a unique number to each character so a computer can identify it.
In simple terms, it's a lookup table that connects characters to numbers.
Internally, computers handle all information as numbers. So when you type a character on the keyboard, the computer converts it into a specific number and stores that instead.
When displaying it on screen, the computer looks up the design of the character that corresponds to that number and shows it.
Several different character code standards exist. For example, different lookup tables have been created over time and across regions — including older standards built for English text and separate standards developed to represent the Japanese language.
If a document is created using one standard but displayed using a different one, the numbers get mismatched, causing a phenomenon called mojibake, where garbled, nonsensical symbols appear on screen instead of the correct text. To solve this problem, a standard called Unicode was created, assigning a single universal number to every character used around the world. From there, UTF-8 — an encoding format that lets computers process those numbers efficiently — was developed, and it's now widely used as the standard for the modern internet and smartphones.