fixed-width code

noun

UK /fɪkst wɪdθ kəʊd/

US /fɪkst wɪdθ koʊd/

A code where every letter or number takes up the same amount of space.

The old computer used a fixed-width code so each character lined up neatly in columns.

SYNONYMS

monospaced encoding constant-length code fixed-length code uniform-width code

RELATED WORDS

character encoding ASCII Unicode font typewriter

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A character encoding in which every symbol is stored using the same number of bits.

ASCII is a fixed-width code that uses seven bits for each character.

3. A font style where every character has the same width, often used in programming.

Programmers prefer fixed-width code displays so indentation stays aligned.

4. A coding scheme in data processing where each field has a set length.

The payroll file used a fixed-width code format for employee IDs.