self-delimiting code
nounUK /ˌsɛlf dɪˈlɪmɪtɪŋ kəʊd/
US /ˌsɛlf dɪˈlɪmɪtɪŋ koʊd/
A self-delimiting code is a special code where you can tell where each piece ends without needing extra marks.
The programmer used a self-delimiting code so the computer could read each number without separators.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A code in which no codeword is a prefix of another, allowing unambiguous parsing.
Huffman coding produces a self-delimiting code because no code is the start of a longer one.
3. A data format where each item carries its own length or end marker.
The file used a self-delimiting code so the reader knew exactly where each record stopped.
4. Any encoding scheme that can be decoded from left to right without lookahead.
Morse code with pauses acts like a self-delimiting code for trained listeners.