What is ASCII, and how does it relate to character encoding?

• A. A 7-bit/8-bit character encoding standard mapping characters to numeric values.
• B. A video compression standard.
• C. A programming language.
• D. A hardware interface.

Answer: (A)

ASCII is a character encoding standard that translates characters into numeric values so computers can store and process text. It originally uses seven bits per character, giving 128 possible symbols, including uppercase and lowercase letters, digits, punctuation, and control codes that manage devices and text flow. An eight-bit extension adds another 128 codes, broadening the set to 256 symbols, though the exact characters in that extended range can vary by system. A key idea is that ASCII provides a simple, portable way to represent text in binary form, which is why modern encodings like UTF-8 keep the first 128 characters the same as ASCII for backward compatibility. This isn’t a video compression standard, a programming language, or a hardware interface.