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Everything about Metasyntactic variable
Placeholder term used in computer science
A metasyntactic variable is a specific word or set of words identified as a placeholder in computer science and specifically computer programming. These words are commonly found in source code and are intended to be modified or substituted before real-world usage. For example, foo and bar are used in over 330 Internet Engineering Task Force Requests for Comments, the documents which define foundational internet technologies like HTTP (web), TCP/IP, and email protocols. Wikipedia →
🧠Start here: a 6-step reading path
- Read the overview: Metasyntactic variableA 5-minute orientation
- Pick up a classic book: Understanding second language processThe most-reprinted book on the subject
- Read the landmark paper: Foo, Bar, Baz…: The Metasyntactic Variable and the Programming Language HierarchyCited 2 times
- Go sideways: FoobarA closely related topic
- Go sideways: Callable objectA closely related topic
đź“– Definitions
Noun A conventional variable name used for an unspecified entity whose exact nature depends on context.
🗂️ The subject at a glance
🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)
đź“š Books worth reading
Understanding second language processZhaoHong Han · 2007
Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.
đź”— Related topics
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