With respect to the ASCII character set, which statement correctly describes its size and inclusion of control characters in the 7-bit standard?

Introduction / Context:
ASCII is a foundational 7-bit character encoding used widely in computing and networking. Knowing its size and composition helps when mapping text, control codes, and interoperability between systems.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Standard ASCII uses 7 bits.
• Total possible codes with 7 bits: 128.
• Control characters occupy the lower range (commonly 0–31) plus DEL at 127 is often treated specially.

Concept / Approach:
Identify the statement that matches the canonical description of ASCII sizing and its inclusion of non-printing control codes (such as NUL, BEL, LF, CR, ESC).

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Reference tables list codes 0–31 as control and 32–126 as printable, with 127 as DEL. This aligns with the chosen statement.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• subset of EBCDIC: false; EBCDIC is an unrelated 8-bit IBM encoding.
• used only in Western Countries: false; ASCII underpins global protocols.
• version II of ASC Standard: not a recognized description.
• None of the above: incorrect because the correct description is provided.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing ASCII (7-bit) with extended ASCII (8-bit variants) and mixing it with EBCDIC mappings.

Final Answer:
has 128 characters, including 32 control characters