# Alternate Character Sets (2.6 - 1.3.0) - HL7 v2.6 Vocabulary v0.2.0

* [**Table of Contents**](toc.md)
* [**Artifacts Summary**](artifacts.md)
* **Alternate Character Sets (2.6 - 1.3.0)**

## CodeSystem: Alternate Character Sets (2.6 - 1.3.0) (Experimental) 

| | |
| :--- | :--- |
| *Official URL*:http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/alternateCharacterSets | *Version*:1.3.0 |
| Active as of 2026-03-13 | *Computable Name*:AlternateCharacterSets |
| *Other Identifiers:*OID:2.16.840.1.113883.18.116, urn:ietf:rfc:3986#Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)#http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/v2-0211 | |
| **Copyright/Legal**: HL7 Inc., 2026 | |

 
HL7-defined code system of concepts used to specify the character set(s) in use. Includes both single-byte and double-byte characters sets, and used in Version 2.x messaging in the MSH segment. 

 This Code system is referenced in the content logical definition of the following value sets: 

* [Hl7VSalternateCharacterSets](ValueSet-hl7VSalternateCharacterSets.md)



## Resource Content

```json
{
  "resourceType" : "CodeSystem",
  "id" : "alternateCharacterSets",
  "extension" : [{
    "url" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/StructureDefinition/codesystem-v2versionCreated",
    "valueString" : "2.6"
  },
  {
    "url" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/StructureDefinition/codesystem-versionHistory",
    "valueString" : "generate correct history somehow"
  },
  {
    "url" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/StructureDefinition/codesystem-tableNo",
    "valueString" : "0211"
  }],
  "url" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/alternateCharacterSets",
  "identifier" : [{
    "system" : "urn:ietf:rfc:3986",
    "value" : "urn:oid:2.16.840.1.113883.18.116"
  },
  {
    "system" : "urn:ietf:rfc:3986",
    "value" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/v2-0211"
  }],
  "version" : "1.3.0",
  "name" : "AlternateCharacterSets",
  "title" : "Alternate Character Sets (2.6 - 1.3.0)",
  "status" : "active",
  "experimental" : true,
  "date" : "2026-03-13T11:09:09+00:00",
  "publisher" : "HL7/FO",
  "contact" : [{
    "name" : "HL7/FO",
    "telecom" : [{
      "system" : "url",
      "value" : "http://www.hl7.org"
    }]
  }],
  "description" : "HL7-defined code system of concepts used to specify the character set(s) in use.  Includes both single-byte and double-byte characters sets, and used in Version 2.x messaging in the MSH segment.",
  "copyright" : "HL7 Inc., 2026",
  "caseSensitive" : true,
  "compositional" : false,
  "content" : "complete",
  "property" : [{
    "code" : "versionIntroduced",
    "uri" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/Property#versionIntroduced",
    "description" : "version when was this code introduced",
    "type" : "string"
  },
  {
    "code" : "versionDeprecated",
    "uri" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/Property#versionDeprecated",
    "description" : "version when was this code deprecated",
    "type" : "string"
  },
  {
    "code" : "status",
    "uri" : "http://hl7.org/fhir/concept-properties#status",
    "description" : "A code that indicates the status of the concept. Typical values are active, experimental, deprecated, and retired",
    "type" : "code"
  },
  {
    "code" : "comment",
    "uri" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/Property#comment",
    "description" : "A string that provides additional detail pertinent to the use or understanding of the concept",
    "type" : "string"
  },
  {
    "code" : "usage",
    "uri" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/Property#usage",
    "description" : "usage notes for this code",
    "type" : "string"
  },
  {
    "code" : "modified",
    "uri" : "http://terminology.hl7.org/v2plusvocab/CodeSystem/Property#modified",
    "description" : "date of last modification",
    "type" : "dateTime"
  }],
  "concept" : [{
    "code" : "8859/1",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/1 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/1 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/15",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/15 (Latin-15)",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/15 (Latin-15)",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.6"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/2",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/2 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/2 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/3",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/3 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/3 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/4",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/4 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/4 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/5",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/5 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/5 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/6",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/6 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/6 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/7",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/7 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/7 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/8",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/8 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/8 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "8859/9",
    "display" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/9 Character set",
    "definition" : "The printable characters from the ISO 8859/9 Character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "ASCII",
    "display" : "The printable 7-bit ASCII character set",
    "definition" : "The printable 7-bit ASCII character set",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "BIG-5",
    "display" : "Code for Taiwanese Character Set (BIG-5)",
    "definition" : "Code for Taiwanese Character Set (BIG-5)",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.5"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "CNS 11643-1992",
    "display" : "Code for Taiwanese Character Set (CNS 11643-1992)",
    "definition" : "Code for Taiwanese Character Set (CNS 11643-1992)",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.5"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "GB 18030-2000",
    "display" : "Code for Chinese Character Set (GB 18030-2000)",
    "definition" : "Code for Chinese Character Set (GB 18030-2000)",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.5"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "ISO IR14",
    "display" : "Code for Information Exchange (one byte)(JIS X 0201-1976).",
    "definition" : "Code for Information Exchange (one byte)(JIS X 0201-1976).",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3.1"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "ISO IR159",
    "display" : "Code of the supplementary Japanese Graphic Character set for information interchange (JIS X 0212-1990).",
    "definition" : "Code of the supplementary Japanese Graphic Character set for information interchange (JIS X 0212-1990).",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "comment",
      "valueString" : "Note that the code contains a space, i.e. \"ISO IR159\"."
    },
    {
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3.1"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "ISO IR87",
    "display" : "Code for the Japanese Graphic Character set for information interchange (JIS X 0208-1990),",
    "definition" : "Code for the Japanese Graphic Character set for information interchange (JIS X 0208-1990),",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3.1"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "JAS2020",
    "display" : "A subset of ISO2020 used for most Kanjii transmissions",
    "definition" : "A subset of ISO2020 used for most Kanjii transmissions",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "modified",
      "valueDateTime" : "2025-07-30"
    },
    {
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "JIS X 0202",
    "display" : "ISO 2022 with escape sequences for Kanjii",
    "definition" : "ISO 2022 with escape sequences for Kanjii",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "modified",
      "valueDateTime" : "2025-07-30"
    },
    {
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "KS X 1001",
    "display" : "Code for Korean Character Set (KS X 1001)",
    "definition" : "Code for Korean Character Set (KS X 1001)",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.5"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "UNICODE",
    "display" : "The world wide character standard from ISO/IEC 10646-1-1993",
    "definition" : "The world wide character standard from ISO/IEC 10646-1-1993",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.3"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "UNICODE UTF-16",
    "display" : "UCS Transformation Format, 16-bit form",
    "definition" : "UCS Transformation Format, 16-bit form",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.5"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "UNICODE UTF-32",
    "display" : "UCS Transformation Format, 32-bit form",
    "definition" : "UCS Transformation Format, 32-bit form",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.5"
    }]
  },
  {
    "code" : "UNICODE UTF-8",
    "display" : "UCS Transformation Format, 8-bit form",
    "definition" : "UCS Transformation Format, 8-bit form",
    "property" : [{
      "code" : "versionIntroduced",
      "valueString" : "2.5"
    }]
  }]
}

```
