PATH Mac OS 8 and 9 Developer Documentation > Text Encoding Conversion Manager
Programming With the Text Encoding Conversion Manager

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Multiple Semantics and Multiple Representations

In many character encodings, certain characters may have multiple semantics, either by explicit definition, ambiguous definition, or established usage.

For example, the JIS X0208 standard specifies the JIS X0208 character 0x2142 as having two meanings: double vertical line and parallel to. Each meaning corresponds to a distinct Unicode code representation. The meaning "double vertical line" corresponds to the Unicode coded representation U+2016 "DOUBLE VERTICAL LINE". The meaning "parallel to" corresponds to the Unicode coded representation U+2225 "PARALLEL TO". Either one is a valid match for the JIS character.

Multiple representation exists when an encoding provides more than one way of representing a particular element of text. For example, in Unicode the text element consisting of an `a' with acute accent can be represented using either the single character LATIN SMALL LETTER A WITH ACUTE or the sequence LATIN SMALL LETTER A plus COMBINING ACUTE ACCENT. The presentation forms encoded in Unicode can also be represented using coded representations for the abstract forms, and this also constitutes a condition of multiple representation.