Java char type can store Unicode character set.
A literal character is represented inside a pair of single quotes.
All of the visible ASCII characters can be directly entered inside the quotes, such as 'a', 'z', and '@'.
For characters that cannot be entered directly, we can use escape sequences.
For example, \n is for new line character.
We can directly enter a character in octal or hexadecimal.
For octal notation, use the backslash followed by the three-digit number.
For example, \141 is the letter 'a'.
For hexadecimal, you enter a backslash-u \u, then exactly four hexadecimal digits.
For example, \u0061 is the ISO-Latin-1 'a'.
The following table shows the character escape sequences.
| Escape Sequence | Description |
|---|---|
| \ddd | Octal character (ddd) |
| \uxxxx | Hexadecimal Unicode character (xxxx) |
| \' | Single quote |
| \" | Double quote |
| \\ | Backslash |
| \r | Carriage return |
| \n | New line (also known as line feed) |
| \f | Form feed |
| \t | Tab |
| \b | Backspace |
Escape Sequences and its Unicode
| Escape Sequence | Name | Unicode Code | Decimal Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| \b | Backspace | \u0008 | 8 |
| \t | Tab | \u0009 | 9 |
| \n | Linefeed | \u000A | 10 |
| \f | Formfeed | \u000C | 12 |
| \r | Carriage Return | \u000D | 13 |
| \\ | Backslash | \u005C | 92 |
| \" | Double Quote | \u0022 | 34 |