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vertical line

Vertical Line

The pipe symbol, or vertical bar, takes its meaning from the code around it: it connects commands in Bash and means “or” in JavaScript text-matching patterns. On a standard US keyboard layout, type | with Shift + backslash. Broken and double-line characters are not substitutes, even when they look close.

Text symbol

Also called: pipe symbol · vertical bar · vbar
Search it as: pipe
Shows up in: Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws

What | means

It can connect commands or separate alternatives. In Bash, a program for running typed commands, command1 | command2 sends the first command’s standard output—the results it normally prints—to the second as input. Read this pipe as “send the result onward,” not “pick either command.”

In a JavaScript regular expression—a pattern used to match text—a|b matches either a or b. Here the vertical bar offers a choice, not a connection. Check which language or command environment you are reading before treating | as “or.”

How do I type the pipe symbol?

On a standard US layout, press Shift + backslash. Look for the key marked \; its position varies by keyboard.

If another character appears, check your active keyboard layout: the layout selected in your operating system can differ from the labels printed on the keys.

Don't confuse it with

Broken Bar

vertical bar vs broken bar: ¦ has a gap and is a separate character. Use | when code calls for a pipe.

‖

Double Vertical Line

Double vertical line is one character. It cannot replace two typed bars, ||, in code.

Reverse Solidus

Backslash slopes; the pipe stands upright. Sharing a keyboard key does not make their code meanings interchangeable.

Latin Capital Letter I

Capital I can resemble | in some fonts. It is a letter, so substituting it changes the code.

Latin Small Letter L

Lowercase L can look like an upright stroke. Check the character, not just its silhouette.

Combination ideas

Bash: list files, then hand that list to sort to put it in order.

Regular expression: matches the word cat or the word dog.

JavaScript and C: logical OR, true if either side is true.

Questions people ask

Why does | show as a box on some devices?

Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.

How to type |

Windows (Word)

Alt+XType 007C, then Alt+X to get |.

Windows

Win+Rrun charmap for the full table, or use the emoji picker's Ω symbols tab (Win + .).

macOS

Control+Command+SpaceOpen the character viewer and search “vertical line”.

Linux

Ctrl+Shift+UType 007c, then Enter or Space.

HTML

|

CSS

\007C

Standard US layout

Press Shift + backslash (\) to enter |.

Codes and encoding1 code points

HTML decimal

HTML hex

CSS content

content: "\007C";

Each escape is closed by the next backslash; a trailing space is needed before a literal hex digit.

URL encoded

%7C

On screen

Code points

JS .length

UTF-8 bytes

A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.

Families this belongs to

Maths & numbers1,835 symbols

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