ASCII and its variants, code pages for non-Latin languages, then Unicode brought three major formats with endian variants and normalisation forms.
ASCII
From early code pages based on language-specific variants of Extended ASCII, through 2-byte support in WorldScript II, to Unicode and the annual emoji update.
You may think that you type URLs into your browser. In fact they’re IRIs, and the internet still can’t cope with Unicode. Why not?
Revisiting the problem of how best to encode English text for transmission in messages.
From Text Twist and tossed coins, to Jackson Pollock and human genetics – a crucial toolset for life.
In the first of a series, this explains how Macs work with Unicode, how to get the best out of that, and how to fix its problems.
The Eclectic Light Company 