Quantum data format
On computers which store information in ASCII format, records in Quantum data files are stored in ASCII format. Any multicoded columns that cannot be represented using ASCII characters are shown as asterisks in the appropriate columns, and are coded at the end of the line as follows:
▪One byte with octal value 0177 to indicate that the multicoded information is about to start.
▪Two bytes for each asterisk in the preceding part of the record. The lower order six bits of the first byte correspond to codes &–0123, the lower order six bits of the second byte correspond to codes 456789.
The top two bits of each byte are always set to 01. For example, to represent the multicode ‘&159’:
First Second
Byte Byte
-------- --------
01100100 01010001
| | | |
&-0123 456789
The term for this kind of notation is column binary.
▪The line as a whole is terminated by the new line character ‘\n’ (decimal 10, octal 12, character ^J — the line feed character).
See