Overview
ISO 9036:1987 - Information processing - Arabic 7‑bit coded character set for information interchange defines a mandatory, unchangeable 7‑bit coded character set intended for interchange of information in the Arabic language. The standard specifies a set of 120 characters (graphic characters and control characters) with their coded representations and references code‑extension procedures defined in ISO 2022. ISO 9036 was prepared by ISO/TC 97 and references ISO 646 and Arab Standard ASMO 449.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Character repertoire: A fixed set of 120 characters, including Arabic letters, digits, punctuation and control characters. These characters are mandatory for conformance.
- 7‑bit code structure: Bit combinations use bits b7..b1 (most to least significant). Notation x/y maps columns and rows to bit combinations for the 0–127 range.
- Control character categories: The 32 primary control characters (bit combinations 0/0 to 1/15) plus DELETE (7/15) are organized into:
- Transmission control characters
- Format effectors (CR, LF, TAB, FF, etc.)
- Code extension control characters (for extending the set via ISO 2022 escape sequences)
- Device control characters
- Information separators
- Other control characters
- Code extension: Procedures for using code extension control characters are specified in ISO 2022; this allows encoding characters not present in the 120‑character set.
- Conformance & implementation: Implementations must include the characters listed in clause 5 with the specified coded representations. Physical media, transmission and error‑checking aspects are handled by other standards.
- Rendering semantics: The standard defines concepts like active position, movement rules for imaging characters, and conventions for names (use of capitals, apostrophes, hyphens).
Applications and who uses it
- Legacy data interchange between Arabic language data processing systems and telecommunications equipment.
- Implementers of low‑bit‑width protocols, embedded devices and retrofitted equipment needing compatibility with 7‑bit Arabic encodings.
- Archivists and migration teams converting older Arabic text corpora to modern encodings.
- Firmware, terminal and printer developers that must support standardized control functions and code‑extension behavior.
- Standards bodies, protocol designers and software engineers implementing ISO 2022 escape‑sequence handling for Arabic text.
Related standards and keywords
- Related: ISO 2022 (code extension techniques), ISO 646, ASMO 449.
- SEO keywords: ISO 9036, Arabic 7‑bit coded character set, information interchange, 7‑bit code, ISO 2022, ASMO 449, control characters, character encoding, data processing, telecommunication.
ISO 9036 remains a useful reference for understanding historical and constrained encoding environments and for ensuring interoperable handling of Arabic text in 7‑bit systems.
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