Tekstikodeeringutel

Tekstikodeeringutel refers to the process of converting textual data into a format that can be stored, transmitted, or processed by computers. This conversion involves representing characters, such as letters, numbers, and symbols, using numerical codes. Different encoding schemes exist, each with its own set of rules and character mappings.

One of the earliest and simplest encoding methods was ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). ASCII assigns a unique 7-bit or 8-bit number to each character. For example, the uppercase letter 'A' is represented by the decimal number 65. While ASCII was foundational, its limited character set could not accommodate characters from many languages, leading to the development of more comprehensive encoding systems.

Unicode is a modern standard designed to represent characters from virtually all writing systems used in the world. It assigns a unique number, called a code point, to each character. Unicode can be represented in various ways, such as UTF-8, UTF-16, and UTF-32. UTF-8 is particularly popular due to its variable-length encoding, which is efficient for both ASCII characters and a wide range of international characters.

The choice of encoding is crucial. If a text file is encoded using one scheme and then interpreted using another, it can result in garbled characters or "mojibake." For instance, opening a UTF-8 encoded file with an application expecting plain ASCII might display unexpected symbols. Proper handling of text encoding is essential for ensuring data integrity and accurate display of text across different systems and applications.