0x20

0x20 is the hexadecimal notation for the decimal value 32. In computing, this value corresponds to the space character in the ASCII character set and, by extension, the Unicode code point U+0020. As a result, 0x20 represents the standard space used to separate words in text.

In ASCII and Unicode, the 0x20 code point is a printable whitespace character. It is not visible when rendered, but it affects text layout and parsing. In many programming contexts, 0x20 is used to denote an actual space within byte arrays, strings, or data streams. It often appears in hex dumps and low-level data handling where byte values are inspected or manipulated directly.

Practical handling of 0x20 includes its treatment in encoding schemes and protocols. In URLs, spaces are percent-encoded as %20, since a literal space is not allowed in a URL. In form submissions using application/x-www-form-urlencoded, spaces may be represented as plus signs (+) rather than the literal 0x20. In Unicode, U+0020 remains the canonical space, while other whitespace characters such as NO-BREAK SPACE (U+00A0) or various Unicode space categories exist, which are distinct from the plain ASCII 0x20.

Overall, 0x20 is a fundamental byte value tied to the common text-space character. It serves as a reference point in encoding, parsing, and data presentation, and it contrasts with other whitespace or non-printable control characters found outside the ASCII 0x20 code point.

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