Abstract: A method of compressing a character by determining an overall code specific to the character comprising the steps of: a) grouping the characters in terms of a common behaviour pattern; b) where the number of characters within that group is odd, creating a two new groups of character, one new group containing just one character and the other new group containing the remaining characters; c) for each new group from of step b) said groups from step a) which have an even number of characters, assigning a group specific code d) where there is more than one character in the group referred to in step c) assigning a character identifier code to identify an individual character within the group, e) the overall character code comprising of the cocatenated group specific and identifier codes.