Windows-1255


Windows-1255 is a code page used under Microsoft Windows to write Hebrew. It is an almost compatible superset of ISO 8859-8 most of the symbols are in the same positions, but Windows-1255 adds vowel-points and other signs in lower positions.
IBM uses code page 1255 for Windows-1255.
Modern applications prefer Unicode to Windows-1255, especially on the Internet; meaning UTF-8, the dominant encoding for web pages. Windows-1255 is used by less that 0.1% of websites.

Character set

The following table shows Windows-1255. Each character is shown with its Unicode equivalent.

Usage

Windows-1255 Hebrew is always in logical order. Microsoft Hebrew products brought logically-ordered Hebrew to common use, with the result that Windows-1255 is the Hebrew encoding that can be found most on the Web, having ousted the visually ordered ISO-8859-8, and preferred to the logically ordered ISO-8859-8-I because it provides for vowel-points.

Relation to Unicode

The Unicode Hebrew block follows Windows-1255 by encoding both letters and vowel-points in the same relative positions as Windows-1255. Unicode goes further in encoding cantillation marks in lower positions. Unicode Hebrew is always in logical order.
For modern applications UTF-8 or UTF-16 is a preferred encoding.