Step 1: Determine the UTF-8 encoding bit layout
The character < has the Unicode code point U+003C. 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+003C to binary:
00111100. 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:
00111100
LESS-THAN SIGN·U+003C
<
Character Information
Code Point
U+003C
HEX
003C
Unicode Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane
Category
Math Symbol
Character Representations
Click elements to copy| Encoding | Hex | Binary |
|---|---|---|
| UTF8 | 3C | 00111100 |
| UTF16 (big Endian) | 00 3C | 00000000 00111100 |
| UTF16 (little Endian) | 3C 00 | 00111100 00000000 |
| UTF32 (big Endian) | 00 00 00 3C | 00000000 00000000 00000000 00111100 |
| UTF32 (little Endian) | 3C 00 00 00 | 00111100 00000000 00000000 00000000 |
HTML Entity
<
URI Encoded
%3C
Description
The Unicode character U+003C, commonly referred to as the "LESS-THAN SIGN" (<), is a critical symbol used extensively in digital text for various purposes. It plays a crucial role in HTML markup language, where it signifies the beginning of an element such as a tag or a block quote. This symbol is also widely employed in programming languages like XML, XHTML, and SQL to denote the start of an attribute or a new code segment. The LESS-THAN SIGN originated from the ASCII character set but has since evolved to accommodate modern needs within the Basic Latin Unicode block (U+0000 to U+007F), which is the foundation upon which many other Unicode blocks are built. This essential range of characters, spanning from control codes to special symbols, contributes significantly to digital communication across multiple platforms and devices. Despite its simple appearance, this symbol serves as a critical tool for organizing and structuring digital content, thereby contributing to the world of technology and information dissemination. Its role in HTML, programming languages, and other markup systems underscores its importance in modern digital communication, where it remains an indispensable element.
How to type the < symbol on Windows
Hold Alt and type 0060 on the numpad. Or use Character Map.