Difference between U+007C “VERTICAL BAR” `|` and U+2223 “DIVIDES” `∣`

paalon
Fri, 26 Jul 2024 04:48:57 +0000
Offtopic

What is the difference between the two Unicode code points U+007C “VERTICAL BAR” | and U+2223 “DIVIDES” ∣? Julia REPL’s LaTeX-like Unicode input of \mid gives U+2223, and HTML’s named character references for &mid;, &shortmid;, &smid; and &VerticalBar; are U+2223, and for &vert; and &VerticalLine; are U+007C. I’m reading “Report on the Algorithmic Language ALGOL 60” and it uses |-like symbols (what is now called Backus–Naur form) to define ALGOL 60 reference representation. I want to write a document about ALGOL 60 in a modern computer. So I want to replicate the original definition text. I don’t know who first used the vertical line symbol as an “or” operator or seperator. What I know is the vertical line in set (or class) builder notation in mathematics \{x\mid \varphi(x) \} was invented and getting popular around from 1940s to 1950s, and in LaTeX, we often use \mid in it. Which should I use for replicating ALGOL 60’s text?

3 posts - 3 participants