\

Backslash

ASCII Code: 92•Category: symbols

The backslash (\) functions as an escape character in programming and the path separator in Windows systems, while enabling special character representation in strings and regular expressions.

Technical Details

ASCII Code
92
HTML Entity
\
Hexadecimal
0x5C
Binary
01011100
Octal
134

Usage & Examples

Programming

char symbol = '\'; // ASCII 92

HTML/Web

\ or \

Common Uses

backslashreverseescapewindowspathprogrammingdirectory

How to Type This Character

Windows

Alt Code:
Hold Alt and type92 on numeric keypad
Character Map:
Search "Character Map" in Start menu

Mac

Character Viewer:
Press Ctrl +Cmd +Space
Copy & Paste:
Easiest method - copy from this page!

💡 Pro tip: The fastest way is to bookmark this page or copy the character from our ASCII library!

Related Characters

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#35
%
Percent sign
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&
Ampersand
#38
*
Asterisk
#42
/
Forward slash
#47
@
At symbol
#64
^
Circumflex accent
#94
_
Underscore
#95
`
Grave accent
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|
Vertical bar
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Tilde
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¦
Broken Bar
#166

About the Backslash

Escape Sequences

Critical for representing special characters in programming strings (\n for newline, \t for tab, \" for quotes). The backslash enables programmers to include characters that would otherwise break syntax or formatting.

Windows File Paths

Standard directory separator in Windows operating systems (C:\Program Files\), distinguishing Windows from Unix-based systems. Despite web standards favoring forward slashes, backslashes remain essential for Windows administration.

Regular Expressions

Essential for escaping special regex characters and creating pattern matching rules. The backslash enables precise text processing and data validation in programming and text processing applications.

Mathematical Notation

Used in LaTeX and mathematical typesetting for command notation and special symbol creation, enabling complex mathematical document formatting and academic publishing.

History of the Backslash

1960s

Early Computing

Computer scientists developed the concept of escape characters to represent non-printable characters in early programming languages and data transmission systems.

1972

C Programming Language

The C programming language standardized backslash escape sequences (\n, \t, \\), establishing conventions that would spread to dozens of subsequent programming languages.

1981

MS-DOS File System

Microsoft adopted the backslash as the directory separator for DOS and Windows, creating a lasting distinction from Unix systems and establishing Windows path conventions.

1987

Regular Expressions

Perl and other languages popularized backslash usage in regular expressions for character class escaping and pattern matching, making it essential for text processing.

1990s

Web Technologies

JavaScript, PHP, and other web languages inherited backslash escape sequences from C, making the symbol fundamental to web development and server-side scripting.

Cultural Impact

The backslash became symbolic of technical precision and system compatibility challenges, representing the differences between computing platforms while enabling complex text processing.

Usage Examples

Programming Escape Sequences

Example
String text = "Line 1\nLine 2\tTabbed text\\"; // newline, tab, backslash

Special character representation in code strings

Windows File Paths

Example
C:\Users\Username\Documents\file.txt

Windows operating system directory navigation

Regular Expressions

Example
Pattern: \d{3}-\d{3}-\d{4} matches phone format 123-456-7890

Text pattern matching and validation rules

LaTeX Mathematical Notation

Example
\alpha + \beta = \gamma, \frac{1}{2}, \sqrt{x}

Mathematical typesetting and academic document formatting

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