Control character

A control character, also known as a non-printing character, is a type of character in a character set that does not represent a written symbol or printable character but instead performs a control function in text processing and display. These characters are essential in managing text formatting, directionality, and other document structures.

Control characters perform a crucial role in text encoding, data transmission, and user interface design. Developers and localizers should understand them to render texts accurately and efficiently.

Key points about control characters: 🛠️ #️⃣

• Common control characters include Line Feed (LF), Carriage Return (CR), Tab (TAB), and Null (NUL), which control text formatting and data organization.
• Characters like the left-to-right mark (LRM) and the right-to-left mark (RLM) are used to manage the directionality of bidirectional text, maintaining correct display in multilingual documents.
• Control characters affect how text is processed and displayed without being visible to the user, influencing layout, alignment, and spacing.
• In localization, understanding control characters helps maintain the intended structure and appearance of translated content, particularly in complex scripts and bidirectional languages.

For more examples of control characters, check our specific pages about RLM and LRM.