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Variable-width encodings are usually the result of a need to increase the number of characters which can be encoded without breaking [[backward compatibility]] with an existing constraint. For example, with 8 bits per character, one can encode 256 possible characters; in order to encode more than 256 characters, the obvious choice would be to increase the number of bits in each encoding unit, such as to 16 bits, allowing 65,536 possible characters, but such a change would break compatibility with existing systems and therefore might not be feasible at all.
==General
A variable-width encoding system adds a layer of [[software]] for generation and interpretation of groups of the base encoding units. This layer can encode a character of its repertoire by using a short sequence of base units, the length of which typically depends on the particular character. The resulting string of units can then generally be handled in an unchanged manner by the other, pre-existing layers of software.
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