Text editors that can put control characters into files, and indeed PC keyboards that have a [Control] key, have been around for decades, though. For example:

Text editors that can put control characters into files, and indeed PC keyboards that have a [Control] key, have been around for decades, though. For example: With WordStar, SideKick, and Microsoft's EDIT, one just typed [Control]+[P] and then the control character. M. Darkphibre mentioned VIM, but really this isn't an idea that was ever limited to just VIM and emacs.