Step 1: Determine the UTF-8 encoding bit layout
The character « has the Unicode code point U+00AB. In UTF-8, it is encoded using 2 bytes because its codepoint is in the range of
0x0080
to0x07ff
.
Therefore we know that the UTF-8 encoding will be done over 11 bits within the final 16 bits and that it will have the format:110xxxxx 10xxxxxx
Where thex
are 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+00AB to binary:
10101011
. 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:
11000010 10101011
LEFT-POINTING DOUBLE ANGLE QUOTATION MARK·U+00AB
Character Information
Character Representations
Click elements to copyEncoding | Hex | Binary |
---|---|---|
UTF8 | C2 AB | 11000010 10101011 |
UTF16 (big Endian) | 00 AB | 00000000 10101011 |
UTF16 (little Endian) | AB 00 | 10101011 00000000 |
UTF32 (big Endian) | 00 00 00 AB | 00000000 00000000 00000000 10101011 |
UTF32 (little Endian) | AB 00 00 00 | 10101011 00000000 00000000 00000000 |
Description
The Left-Pointing Double Angle Quotation Mark (U+00AB) is a significant typographical character primarily utilized to enclose quotations within digital text. This character plays a crucial role in distinguishing direct speech from indirect speech or quoted material within a narrative, particularly in citation formats such as legal documents, technical writing, and academic papers. Although not extensively used in English-language texts, the Left-Pointing Double Angle Quotation Mark is more common in languages like French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. This character's versatility is highlighted across various cultural, linguistic, and technical contexts, emphasizing its importance for accurate and clear communication within digital text. The Left-Pointing Double Angle Quotation Mark can be found within the Latin-1 Supplement Unicode block (U+0080 to U+00FF), which consists of 256 characters essential for proper formatting and presentation of written content. This block was designed to expand the basic Latin character set, accommodating additional symbols like the Left-Pointing Double Angle Quotation Mark, thereby enhancing the readability and overall appearance of text documents. In summary, the Left-Pointing Double Angle Quotation Mark (U+00AB) is a vital typographical character that serves to enclose quotations within digital text, particularly in various cultural, linguistic, and technical contexts. Its usage demonstrates its importance for accurate and clear communication in digital text documents.
How to type the « symbol on Windows
Hold Alt and type 0171 on the numpad. Or use Character Map.