HTML arrows can be inserted into documents using predefined glyphs or character codes. They can indicate keys, process steps, or flowchart directions. Images and SVGs were traditionally used, but Unicode® characters now allow for scalable and portable arrows that can be formatted like any other text. Some formatting tags may not work on arrows.
In HyperText Markup Language (HTML), an arrow is a character that can be inserted into a document using a glyph predefined by the character set or font used by the document. At the most basic level, there are four arrows similar in scale to a standard letter in font, with one pointing in each of the four main directions. In fonts that primarily define symbols, such as mathematical signs, there can be a much larger selection of arrows. The main uses of an HTML arrow might include indicating keys on a keyboard, indicating different steps in a process, or showing the direction of movement in a flowchart. An HTML arrow is usually inserted into a document using a special entity code or by defining the specific decimal or hexadecimal character code.
There are several ways to create an arrow in an HTML document. Traditionally, images have been used because they are relatively simple to insert, although they don’t scale easily. Later developments, such as the scalable vector graphics (SVG) standard, provided a way to draw scalable and aliased arrows in a web browser, although support for SVG in some programs and operating systems was not automatic and required a plug-in . The development of the Unicode® character set has provided a standardized way to integrate an HTML arrow into a document without the need for any specialized code, separate files, or downloaded plug-ins.
Using a real HTML arrow through a character in a Unicode® font provides portability for the document that can allow it to be viewed on multiple platforms, and can also take advantage of the native rendering and display elements of the device being used. The arrow can be drawn by browser and device just like any other text font, including aliasing and minor refinements that can make it look more professional. It can also give the document the ability to be very fluid in its layout and design, because standard formatting rules can be applied to the HTML arrow font.
Also, because an HTML Unicode® arrow is just another character in a font, you can apply some of the traditional character formatting tags to change its appearance. The main tags that can be used are the size and header tags that will adjust the size of the arrow and increase the quality of its display. However, some tags, such as bold and italic tags, will not work on an arrowhead and may produce unpredictable or unwanted results in certain programs.
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