An ASCII editor is a type of program for manipulating a set of characters called ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). The ASCII editor program often provides the layout of ASCII characters in various ways to generate specific visual results. Many ASCII editors help users make artistic presentations on the computer screen.
ASCII characters are still the main tools for SMS text messages.
Some programmers refer to the ASCII editor as a kind of text editor, because ASCII is mostly made up of letters, punctuation, and other elements that make up conventional text. An ASCII editor often differs from a “word processing” text editor in that it focuses on aesthetic results and not necessarily on readability. An ASCII editor helps computer users create impressive ASCII layouts that use different colors, sizes, and types of ASCII characters in special positions on the screen.
The ASCII coding system is known for its adaptability and simplicity.
ASCII editors have specific features that help make ASCII art easier to create. Some of these include a background picker or other “color fill” tool. An ASCII editor may also have “edit commands” that place specific amounts of ASCII characters where they may be most useful to add to the “big picture” of what is ultimately displayed on the screen. ASCII editors may also have features like “image overlay” and other layout commands to handle larger chunks of ASCII on the screen.
A computer may need a specific operating system to run an ASCII editor. While many of them are available as free software, vendors may sell some ASCII editors as software packages. Some may also be available as SaaS designs or Software as a Service, where providers can offer them over the Internet.
While many programmers still enjoy creating ASCII art, many computer users view it as an outdated art form that is often outside of the visual arts mainstream. ASCII editors are also marginally useful for many businesses, as their main function is text manipulation, where standard word processing programs are often the best choice for managers. ASCII editing can still be useful in the telecommunications business, where ASCII characters are still the main tools for things like SMS text messages and even some VoIP programs. Although ASCII art may be largely a thing of the past, there’s a lot a few types of ASCII editors can do for modern telcos.
Emoticons can be considered the simplest form of ASCII art.
