{

Left curly bracket

ASCII Code: 123•Category: brackets

The left curly bracket ({) is fundamental to programming languages for defining code blocks, object literals, and data structures, while also serving as a grouping symbol in mathematics and text formatting.

Technical Details

ASCII Code: 123
HTML Entity: {
Hexadecimal: 0x7B
Binary: 01111011
Octal: 173

Usage & Examples

Programming

char symbol = '{'; // ASCII 123

HTML/Web

{ or {

Common Uses

bracketcurlybraceopenprogrammingcodeobjectjsoncss

How to Type This Character

Windows

Alt Code:

Hold Alt and type123 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

About the Left curly bracket

Programming Foundation

Essential for defining scope in JavaScript, CSS rules, JSON objects, and code blocks in C/C++/Java. The opening brace establishes the beginning of functions, classes, conditionals, and loops across most programming languages.

Data Structure Notation

Critical for object notation in JSON ({"key": "value"}), JavaScript objects, and hash tables. Enables structured data representation and API communication across web technologies and databases.

Mathematical Grouping

Used in set notation, mathematical expressions, and formal logic to group elements and define relationships. Essential in discrete mathematics, statistics, and computer science theory.

Markup Templating

Powers template engines (Handlebars, Mustache), CSS preprocessors (Sass, LESS), and modern frameworks (React JSX, Vue templates) for dynamic content generation and styling.

History of the Left curly bracket

1600s

Mathematical Origins

Mathematicians began using braces for grouping complex expressions and set notation, establishing the concept of hierarchical organization in mathematical writing.

1972

C Programming Language

Dennis Ritchie's C language standardized curly braces for code blocks, influencing virtually every subsequent programming language including C++, Java, JavaScript, and C#.

1995

JavaScript Objects

JavaScript adopted curly braces for object literals, making them essential for web development and establishing the foundation for JSON data format.

1996

CSS Styling

Cascading Style Sheets used curly braces to define style rules, making them fundamental to web design and layout across all websites.

2001

JSON Standard

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) formalized curly braces for data interchange, making them essential for APIs, databases, and web services worldwide.

Cultural Impact

Curly braces evolved from mathematical notation to become the backbone of modern programming, enabling everything from web development to mobile apps and defining how we structure digital information.

Usage Examples

JavaScript Objects

Example

const user = { name: 'John', age: 25, email: 'john@example.com' };

Object literal notation for storing related data

CSS Styling

Example

.button { background-color: blue; padding: 10px; border-radius: 5px; }

Style rule definition for web page formatting

JSON Data

Example

{ "products": [{ "id": 1, "name": "Widget" }], "total": 1 }

API data format for web services and databases

Programming Blocks

Example

if (condition) { console.log('Execute this code'); processData(); }

Code block definition in programming languages