What is the primary purpose of the Unicode standard?

The primary purpose of the Unicode standard is to ensure consistent representation of characters across different platforms and systems. Unicode provides a comprehensive character set that includes a vast array of characters from many scripts and languages, allowing text to be displayed and manipulated consistently regardless of the software or hardware used. This universality is critical in a globalized world where applications may need to support multiple languages and character sets.

By standardizing the way characters are encoded, Unicode helps prevent issues that arise from using different character encodings, such as character corruption or misinterpretation. This consistency allows developers to write programs that function reliably in various environments, ensuring that text is correctly displayed and processed. The choice is essential in promoting interoperability among different systems and applications.