stand-in character set

noun
UK /ˈstænd ɪn ˈkærəktə sɛt/
US /ˈstænd ɪn ˈkærəktər sɛt/

A stand-in character set is a group of letters and symbols used in place of another group.

The old computer used a stand-in character set so it could show letters it did not normally have.

SYNONYMS

substitute character setreplacement character setalternate character setfallback character set

RELATED WORDS

character encodingcode pagefont mappingglyph settext encoding

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A temporary set of symbols used while the real one is missing or broken.

The program loaded a stand-in character set until the proper font was installed.

3. A character set that represents characters from another set for compatibility.

The emulator used a stand-in character set to display Japanese text on an English system.

4. A placeholder collection of letters and signs used in testing.

Testers filled the form with a stand-in character set to check how the page handled unusual symbols.