Step 1: Determine the UTF-8 encoding bit layout
The character * has the Unicode code point U+002A. In UTF-8, it is encoded using 1 byte because its codepoint is in the range of
0x0000to0x007f.
Therefore we know that the UTF-8 encoding will be done over 7 bits within the final 8 bits and that it will have the format:0xxxxxxx
Where thexare the payload bits.UTF-8 Encoding bit layout by codepoint range Codepoint Range Bytes Bit pattern Payload length U+0000 - U+007F 1 0xxxxxxx 7 bits U+0080 - U+07FF 2 110xxxxx 10xxxxxx 11 bits U+0800 - U+FFFF 3 1110xxxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 16 bits U+10000 - U+10FFFF 4 11110xxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 21 bits Step 2: Obtain the payload bits:
Convert the hexadecimal code point U+002A to binary:
00101010. Those are the payload bits.Step 3: Fill in the bits to match the bit pattern:
Obtain the final bytes by arranging the paylod bits to match the bit layout:
00101010
ASTERISK·U+002A
*
Character Information
Code Point
U+002A
HEX
002A
Unicode Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane
Category
Other Punctuation
Character Representations
Click elements to copy| Encoding | Hex | Binary |
|---|---|---|
| UTF8 | 2A | 00101010 |
| UTF16 (big Endian) | 00 2A | 00000000 00101010 |
| UTF16 (little Endian) | 2A 00 | 00101010 00000000 |
| UTF32 (big Endian) | 00 00 00 2A | 00000000 00000000 00000000 00101010 |
| UTF32 (little Endian) | 2A 00 00 00 | 00101010 00000000 00000000 00000000 |
HTML Entity
*
URI Encoded
*
Description
The Asterisk (*), Unicode character U+002A with codepoint 002A and ASCII code 42, is a versatile symbol widely utilized across various digital text applications. Its general role includes denoting multiplication in programming languages, serving as a wildcard pattern in file systems and search queries, and acting as a delimiter in list comprehensions. In mathematics, the asterisk represents the multiplication operation, while in astronomy, it denotes a star's magnitude on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Culturally, the asterisk holds significance in music, where it is used to indicate repetition or a specific rhythm pattern, and in sports, where it signifies a player's position on a team. The Asterisk resides within the Basic Latin Unicode block (U+0000 to U+007F), which consists of 128 essential characters crucial for communication across multiple platforms and industries. Its extensive use demonstrates its importance as an indispensable building block for digital communication in the modern age. The asterisk's historical roots can be traced back to the ASCII character set, but it has evolved over time to accommodate contemporary needs within digital communication.
How to type the * symbol on Windows
Hold Alt and type 0042 on the numpad. Or use Character Map.