2014-04-26 10:52:28 -04:00
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meta bit
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2014-04-26 11:54:15 -04:00
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n. The top bit of an 8-bit character, which is on in character values
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128--255. Also called high bit , alt bit. Some terminals and consoles (see
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space-cadet keyboard ) have a META shift key. Others (including, mirabile
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dictu , keyboards on IBM PC-class machines) have an ALT key. See also bucky
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bits. Historical note: although in modern usage shaped by a universe of
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8-bit bytes the meta bit is invariably hex 80 (octal 0200), things were
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different on earlier machines with 36-bit words and 9-bit bytes. The MIT and
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Stanford keyboards (see space-cadet keyboard ) generated hex 100 (octal 400)
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from their meta keys.
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