Entering Special Characters (Control Codes)

Special characters or control codes are binary characters that are not represented on the keyboard. You cannot type them the way normal characters are because they must be encoded using a special syntax. You would need to use such characters when communicating with serial-port devices, receiving data on TCP/IP port, or when working with binary files, such as print files.

There are two methods of entering special characters:

  • Enter the characters manually using one of the described syntax examples:

    • Use syntax <special_character_acronim>, such as <FF> for FormFeed, or <CR> for CarriageReturn, or <CR><LF> for newline.

    • Use syntax <#hex_code>, such as <#0D> (decimal 13) for CarriageReturn or <#00> for null character.

    For more information, see section List of Control Codes.

  • Insert the listed characters. Objects that support special characters as their content have an arrow button on their right side. The button contains a shortcut to all of the available special characters. When you select a character in the list, it is added to the content. For more information, see section Using Compound Values.