> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://starikov.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Zero-Width Space-Place - URL: https://starikov.co/zero-width-space/ - Published: 2025-05-18T19:00:12.000Z - Updated: 2026-06-15T03:55:06.000Z - Description: Nothing to see here. - Author: Illya Starikov - Tags: Technology, Application, Computer Science, #u-color-bg-dark, #u-color-text-light ### Zero‑Width Space Click the translucent pill (blue dot marks it) or the big Copy button. Copy ## What’s Zero-Width Space? The zero‑width space (U+200B) is a Unicode glyph that renders nothing and occupies zero width. In the right hands, this “invisible ink” changes how software treats text. ## Example Below are seven tricks I actually use, each with a quick demo. 1. **Anchor an Alphabetical List** Prefix one or more ZWS characters to push an item *ahead* of "A". ```txt Newsletter ← with ZWS Apple Zucchini ``` 1. **Break Auto‑Linking** Drop a ZWS into a URL or email to foil scrapers while leaving it human‑readable. ```txt hello@starikov.co https://starikov.co ``` 1. **Duplicate C++ Identifiers** ZWS is a valid identifier char in many compilers. ```cpp int total = 1; // normal int total = 2; // looks the same, compiles fine std::cout << total + total; // prints 3 ``` 1. **Python Indentation Gremlins** Slip a ZWS into leading spaces; code *looks* aligned but crashes. ```python def hello(): print("ok") # four spaces print("boom") # four + ZWS → IndentationError ``` 1. **Hide Easter‑Egg Text** Insert a binary watermark every 100 chars; humans never see it, diff tools do. 2. **Zero‑Length Social Forms** Some platforms allow a username, bios, and other forms that is literally just ZWS. Pure minimalism. 3. **Control word‑wrapping** Add ZWS inside a super‑long URL to let browsers break the line without inserting a visible hyphen. ```html https://example.com/superlongpaththatneverends ```