★ U+0640: Technical Specifications for the Arabic Tatweel Character
The Arabic Tatweel (“ـ” U+0640) character, also known as Kashida, is a crucial formatting mark in the Arabic script. It is used to justify or elongate words for aesthetic and typographic purposes. This comprehensive resource provides developers and enthusiasts at iloveunicode.com with the complete technical data, encoding conversions, and usage context for this essential codepoint.
U+0640 Character Data and Unicode Properties
The Unicode codepoint U+0640 represents the Arabic Tatweel. This character is critical for proper text display and justification in Arabic, where it functions as a non-spacing, prolonging extension. It was officially added to Unicode in **version 1.1 (June, 1993)**. It belongs to the **Arabic** block of the **Basic Multilingual Plane**, serving a core function in bidirectional text rendering across modern systems.
Main Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Arabic Tatweel |
| Unicode Codepoint | U+0640 |
| Unicode Version | 1.1 (June, 1993) |
| Block | Arabic |
| Plane | Basic Multilingual Plane |
Bidirectional and Other Data
| Bidirectional Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Bidirectional class | Arabic Letter (AL) |
| Is mirrored? | No |
| Other Data Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | Modifier Letter |
| Script | Code for undetermined script |
| Combining Class | Not Reordered |
Encoding Conversions for U+0640
| Encoding Type | Value |
|---|---|
| HTML (decimal) | ـ |
| HTML (hex) | ـ |
| HTML (named) | - |
| URL Escape Code | %D9%80 |
| CSS | 00640 |
| JavaScript, JSON | u0640 |
| C, C++, Java | u0640 |
| Python | u0640 |
| Rust | u{0640} |
| Ruby | u0640 |
UTF Byte Encodings (Hex)
| Encoding | Byte Sequence (Hex) |
|---|---|
| UTF-8 | 0xD9 0x80 |
| UTF-16 | 0x0640 |
| UTF-32 | 0x00000640 |
Code Snippet for Programming
To represent the **Arabic Tatweel** character in common programming languages, use the following escaped code:
u0640Typing Instructions for U+0640
- Windows: Hold Alt, then type 0 6 4 0. Release Alt.
- Mac: Hold Alt ⌥, then type 0 6 4 0. Release Alt.
Preview of the Tatweel Character (ـ)
View how the **Arabic Tatweel** renders across different font families:
- ـ (serif font example)
- ـ (sans-serif font example)
- ـ (monospace font example)
Characters Based on Arabic Tatweel (U+0640)
The U+0640 character is the base for several ligatures and presentation forms in the Arabic script:
- ﳲ U+FCF2 – Arabic Ligature Shadda With Fatha Medial Form
- ﳳ U+FCF3 – Arabic Ligature Shadda With Damma Medial Form
- ﳴ U+FCF4 – Arabic Ligature Shadda With Kasra Medial Form
- ﹱ U+FE71 – Arabic Tatweel With Fathatan Above
- ﹷ U+FE77 – Arabic Fatha Medial Form
- ﹹ U+FE79 – Arabic Damma Medial Form
- ﹻ U+FE7B – Arabic Kasra Medial Form
- ﹽ U+FE7D – Arabic Shadda Medial Form
- ﹿ U+FE7F – Arabic Sukun Medial Form
Conclusion: Advancing Your Unicode Knowledge
Understanding specialized characters like the **Arabic Tatweel** (U+0640) is essential for accurate data handling and cross-platform compatibility, particularly in right-to-left scripts. The details of the U+0640 codepoint play a key role in typography, text rendering engines, and localization systems. With precise technical knowledge from iloveunicode.com, developers can achieve robust implementations and avoid encoding pitfalls for global audiences.