ASCII code for start of text
2
Start of Text — a control character, not printable
| Decimal | 2 |
| Hexadecimal | 0x02 |
| Octal | 0002 |
| Binary | 00000010 |
| HTML entity |  |
What it is
Marked where the header ended and the message began. Still used as a frame delimiter in serial protocols for point-of-sale and industrial equipment.
The full entry
ASCII 2 in full — the code point page, with what sits either side of it and how the character is encoded elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ASCII code for start of text?
The ASCII code for start of text is 2 in decimal, 0x02 in hexadecimal and 0002 in octal.
What is start of text in binary?
00000010 — eight bits, though ASCII only defines seven, so the top bit is always zero.
Is start of text a printable character?
No. Start of Text is a control character — an instruction to a teleprinter rather than a mark on paper, which is why most tables show an empty cell for it.
Other characters
- ASCII code for end of text — 3
- ASCII code for end of transmission — 4
- ASCII code for enquiry — 5
- ASCII code for acknowledge — 6
- ASCII code for bell — 7
- ASCII code for backspace — 8
- ASCII code for tab — 9
- ASCII code for newline — 10
- ASCII code for vertical tab — 11
- ASCII code for form feed — 12
- ASCII code for carriage return — 13
- ASCII code for shift out — 14
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