ASCII·8
56
8
0x38 · 0111000

ASCII 56 — the 8 character

Digits

8 is 56 in decimal, 38 in hex and 0111000 in binary. Its bottom four bits are the digit 8 itself.

Zero sits at 48, so the bottom four bits are the digit itself.

Seven bits

ASCII is seven bits wide, which is why there are 128 of them. The eighth bit was long left for parity.

0111000

One bit — the sixth, worth 32 — separates the cases. Off gives a capital, on gives a lowercase letter.

Kind
Digits
Decimal
56
Hexadecimal
0x38
Octal
070
Binary
0111000
HTML entity
8
URL encoding
8
CSS escape
\38
Digit value
8

The chart

Eight columns for the top three bits, sixteen rows for the bottom four. The capitals column sits right beside the lowercase one — that is the shape of the table.

Codes either side

How to read this

  • Add 32 to a capital and you get the lowercase letter — one bit flips.
  • Digits start at 48, so subtracting 48 from the code gives the number.
  • Holding Ctrl clears the top three bits — that is why Ctrl+I is a tab.
  • Everything under 32, plus 127, draws nothing. Those show their abbreviation instead.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What is the ASCII code for 8?

Decimal 56, hex 38, octal 070, binary 0111000.

Q. How do I write 8 in HTML?

As 8.

Q. How does it go in a URL?

It can stay as it is — this character needs no encoding.

Q. Does 8 have a partner?

No case partner: it is not a letter but a digit.