5. A system for storing, retrieving and displaying a character, where the character is to be displayed in either a compressed character display format or a fixed-width character display format, which comprises: memory means for storing the character as an encoded font data, the encoded font data comprising a plurality of bytes; each byte of the encoded font data comprising a first and a second set of bits, the collective first sets for the plurality of bytes representing both a fixed-width character and a compressed character, and the second set serving as a flag to indicate whether the corresponding first set of the byte should be displayed when the system is in the compressed character display format; a display; an actuator generating a control signal having a first and a second value; and means responsive to the control signal for causing the character to be displayed on the display, the first value for the control signal causing all the first sets for the plurality of bytes to be displayed, and the second value for the control signal causing each first set of the byte having the second set indicating that the first set should be displayed when the system is in the compressed character display format to be displayed.
7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the means responsive to the control signal includes decoding means for decoding the encoded font data.