RFC 3092: Official Etymology and History of Programming Metasyntactic Variables "Foo", "Bar", and "Foobar"
By
ipnon
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Summary
This RFC (Request for Comments) document provides the official etymology and history of the metasyntactic variables 'foo', 'bar', and 'foobar' commonly used in programming and technical documentation. It traces their origins from military slang (FUBAR) through comic strips (Smokey Stover) to their widespread adoption in technical documentation, particularly in RFCs. The document serves as an informational reference to explain these placeholder terms that have appeared in hundreds of RFCs without proper definition.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledApproximately 212 RFCs so far, starting with RFC 269, contain the terms 'foo', 'bar', or 'foobar' as metasyntactic variables without any proper explanation or definition.
This document rectifies that deficiency.
This memo provides information for the Internet community.
The terms 'foo', 'bar', and 'foobar' are used as metasyntactic variables in computer programming and related technical documentation.
The etymology of 'foo' and related terms traces back to military slang, comic strips, and technical documentation practices.
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