ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

DEC Technical Character Set

Okay, so you know how when you type on a computer or phone, the letters and symbols show up on the screen? Well, every letter and symbol has what's called a code. Think of it like a secret password that tells the computer how to show that letter or symbol.

Now, different computer systems use different codes for letters and symbols. The DEC technical character set is a code that was created by a company called Digital Equipment Corporation (abbreviated as "DEC"). This code has a specific set of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and other symbols that can be used on DEC products like their computers and printers.

It's like having a special set of toys that only work with a certain kind of toy block. You can't use those toys with any other set of blocks. Similarly, the DEC technical character set can only be used on DEC products.

So, when you hear someone talking about the DEC technical character set, they're talking about a specific code that DEC computers and printers use to display letters and symbols on screen or on paper.