60
<
0x3C · 0111100
ASCII 60 — the < character
Punctuation
< is 60 in decimal, 3C in hex and 0111100 in binary.
The marks scattered between the digits and the letters.
Seven bits
ASCII is seven bits wide, which is why there are 128 of them. The eighth bit was long left for parity.
0111100
One bit — the sixth, worth 32 — separates the cases. Off gives a capital, on gives a lowercase letter.
- Kind
- Punctuation
- Decimal
- 60
- Hexadecimal
- 0x3C
- Octal
- 074
- Binary
- 0111100
- HTML entity
- <
- Named entity
- <
- URL encoding
- %3C
- CSS escape
- \3C
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.
0NUL1SOH2STX3ETX4EOT5ENQ6ACK7BEL8BS9HT10LF11VT12FF13CR14SO15SI16DLE17DC118DC219DC320DC421NAK22SYN23ETB24CAN25EM26SUB27ESC28FS29GS30RS31US32SP33!34"35#36$37%38&39'40(41)42*43+44,45-46.47/48049150251352453554655756857958:59;60<61=62>63?64@65A66B67C68D69E70F71G72H73I74J75K76L77M78N79O80P81Q82R83S84T85U86V87W88X89Y90Z91[92\93]94^95_96`97a98b99c100d101e102f103g104h105i106j107k108l109m110n111o112p113q114r115s116t117u118v119w120x121y122z123{124|125}126~127DEL
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 <?
Decimal 60, hex 3C, octal 074, binary 0111100.
Q. How do I write < in HTML?
As <, or by name as <.
Q. How does it go in a URL?
It is encoded as %3C.
Q. Does < have a partner?
No case partner: it is not a letter but a symbol.