"Foobar" is a commonly used placeholder name in programming and computer science. The term is used when the actual name or content is irrelevant to the discussion or example being presented.
Origin of Foobar
The term "foobar" likely originated from the military acronym "FUBAR" (Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition). It became popular in programming circles during the early days of computing and has since become a standard placeholder in code examples, documentation, and technical discussions.
Common uses in programming:
- Variable names in code examples:
let foobar = 42; - Function names:
function foobar() - Placeholder text in documentation
- Test data and dummy values
Example in code:
// A simple example using foobar as placeholder
function foo(bar)
return bar + 1;
const baz = foo(41); // baz = 42Other common metasyntactic variables include "foo," "bar," "baz," "qux," and "quux," which are often used together in sequence when multiple placeholder names are needed.