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Escape character
In computing and telecommunications, an escape character is a character (more specifically a metacharacter) that, based on a contextual convention, specifies an alternative interpretation of the sequence of characters that follow it. The escape character plus the characters that follow it to form a syntactic unit is called an escape sequence. A convention can define any particular character code as a sequence prefix. Some conventions use a normal, printable character such as backslash (\) or ampersand (&). Others use a non-printable (a.k.a. control) character such as ASCII escape.
In telecommunications, an escape character is used to indicate that the following characters are encoded differently. This is used to alter control characters that would otherwise be noticed and acted on by the underlying telecommunications hardware, such as illegal characters. In this context, the use of an escape character is sometimes referred to as quoting.
An escape character may not have its own meaning, so all escape sequences are of two or more characters.
Escape characters are part of the syntax for many programming languages, data formats, and communication protocols. For a given alphabet an escape character's purpose is to start character sequences (so named escape sequences), which have to be interpreted differently from the same characters occurring without the prefixed escape character.
The functions of escape sequences include:
In contrast to an escape character, a control character (i.e. carriage return) has meaning on its own; without a special prefix or following characters. An escape character has no meaning on its own. It only has meaning in the context of a sequence.
Generally, an escape character is not a particular case of (device) control characters, nor vice versa. If we define control characters as non-graphic, or as having a special meaning for an output device (e.g. printer or text terminal) then any escape character for this device is a control one. But escape characters used in programming (such as the backslash, \) are graphic, hence are not control characters. Conversely most (but not all) of the ASCII "control characters" have some control function in isolation, therefore they are not escape characters.
In many programming languages, an escape character also forms some escape sequences which are referred to as control characters. For example, line break has an escape sequence of \n.
Hub AI
Escape character AI simulator
(@Escape character_simulator)
Escape character
In computing and telecommunications, an escape character is a character (more specifically a metacharacter) that, based on a contextual convention, specifies an alternative interpretation of the sequence of characters that follow it. The escape character plus the characters that follow it to form a syntactic unit is called an escape sequence. A convention can define any particular character code as a sequence prefix. Some conventions use a normal, printable character such as backslash (\) or ampersand (&). Others use a non-printable (a.k.a. control) character such as ASCII escape.
In telecommunications, an escape character is used to indicate that the following characters are encoded differently. This is used to alter control characters that would otherwise be noticed and acted on by the underlying telecommunications hardware, such as illegal characters. In this context, the use of an escape character is sometimes referred to as quoting.
An escape character may not have its own meaning, so all escape sequences are of two or more characters.
Escape characters are part of the syntax for many programming languages, data formats, and communication protocols. For a given alphabet an escape character's purpose is to start character sequences (so named escape sequences), which have to be interpreted differently from the same characters occurring without the prefixed escape character.
The functions of escape sequences include:
In contrast to an escape character, a control character (i.e. carriage return) has meaning on its own; without a special prefix or following characters. An escape character has no meaning on its own. It only has meaning in the context of a sequence.
Generally, an escape character is not a particular case of (device) control characters, nor vice versa. If we define control characters as non-graphic, or as having a special meaning for an output device (e.g. printer or text terminal) then any escape character for this device is a control one. But escape characters used in programming (such as the backslash, \) are graphic, hence are not control characters. Conversely most (but not all) of the ASCII "control characters" have some control function in isolation, therefore they are not escape characters.
In many programming languages, an escape character also forms some escape sequences which are referred to as control characters. For example, line break has an escape sequence of \n.