escape code

escape code

A text command preceded either by the escape (Esc) character (ASCII 27) or some other designated character. The escape code signals the device to execute the text command rather than print or display it. For example, the Esc character followed by "&l10," sets the LaserJet printer to landscape mode.

Just the Opposite: Render - Don't Execute
Escape codes are also used to achieve the exact opposite effect: causing a command to be displayed or printed rather than executed. For example, in HTML, an ampersand (&) is an escape code. When the "&" is followed by the letters "lt," it is an HTML code for the less-than symbol (<), and it is rendered as the less-than symbol rather than being treated as the beginning of an HTML tag. This encoding is necessary to render HTML tags as actual tags for instructional purposes. See ampersand codes.