What Is A Backslash [\]?

What is Backslash?

A backslash (\) is a special character used in computer programming and other technical contexts. It is a typographical symbol that represents a reverse diagonal, or a "backslash" and is used in various ways to denote special formatting or functions.

One common use of the backslash is in text formatting, where it can be used to create new lines, escape special characters, and insert whitespace. For example, in many programming languages, the backslash can be used to insert a line break in a string of text, or to escape characters that have a special meaning, such as quotation marks or apostrophes.

In addition to these uses, the backslash can have other meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It is a commonly used symbol in computer programming and other technical fields, and it is often used in regular text as well, particularly in technical writing and computer-related documentation.

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The backslash (\) is a mark that can be typed on the keyboard or used as a typographic symbol and is used in certain programming languages as well as other computing situations.

On Windows systems, for example, the backslash (\) is used to separate parts of a file path, like C:\Users\Public\Pictures. In C, Perl, and Unix scripting, the backslash (\) tells the computer to do something special with the next character. The backslash starts tags in the TeX typesetting markup system.

In 1961, computer scientist Bob Bemer used the backslash in the American Standard Code for Information Exchange (ASCII) to represent some Boolean operators in the ALGOL programming language. The backslash is a character on the keyboard that looks like the opposite of the forward slash (/), which is often just called a "slash" and is used more often in both computing and non-computing situations. These marks are called glyphs. Glyphs are graphic symbols that give a character its shape or look.

The backslash is also called the backslant, the backslat, the backwhack, the bash, the escape, the hack, the reverse slant, the reverse slash, the reverse solidus, the reversed virgule, the slosh, and the whack.

Backslash Meaning

A backward-sloping diagonal line (\) that is used in some computer commands or it is used to separate words or numbers in computer file names.

Where is Backslash on Keyboard?

Below is a picture of a computer keyboard, with the backslash key highlighted in Red Box. It is also not uncommon for this key to be right below the Backspace key and above the Enter key.

How To Type Backslash?

The backslash key is also the pipe key on English PC and Mac keyboards. It's above the Enter key (also called the Return key) and below the Backspace key. When you press \, you get a backslash.

There is a lot of information about the backslash on Wikipedia.