Let me clear up a common misconception. When most people say writing in code, what they really mean is writing using a cipher. A code is when a symbol, word, or phrase is used to stand for a different word, phrase, or sentence. A cipher is were each letter in a word is represented with a different letter or symbol.
The dash is a punctuation mark that is similar to a hyphen or minus sign, but differs from both of these symbols primarily in length and function.
In decimalized currency, a slash followed by a dash â¨/-â© continues to be used in some places to mark an even amount of currency with no subunits. For example, Â£50/- is a variant of Â£50.00 and serves a similar function of providing clarity and ensuring that no further digits are added to the end of the number.