= Text character
A <text character> is an abstract unit of written information, distinguished from its visible <glyph> and from the bytes used to store it. A <Unicode> <code point> identifies an encoded character; <UTF-8> specifies a byte representation. Neither counting bytes nor counting <code points> always counts what a reader perceives as individual characters.<Glossary of Unicode Terms by the Unicode Consortium>[Entries Abstract Character, Character, Code Point, Glyph, Grapheme Cluster and UTF-8]{ref}
For example, an accented letter can be represented by a base letter followed by a combining accent. The sequence can be treated as one <grapheme cluster>, while a <computer font> and <text shaping> determine its displayed form. Conversely, the two <text characters> “f” and “i” can remain distinct in stored text while appearing as one <typographic ligature>. This is why a text editor's cursor movement, a byte offset and a <glyph index> answer different questions.
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