Metasyntax

After extensive research some of the early computer scientists came up with a list of words they used as place keeper in syntactic explanations. Backus-Naur
The research was needed to be sure these words could be used within any context and do not mean anything. These words mean nothing if used in the context of an example.

Using metasyntactic variables is not unlike the mathematical use of the variable x for an unknown value. This variable x is however also used in numerous other occasions where it does stand for a known value.

For unknown reasons metasyntactic variables are under cultural influence, depending on the (language)region the use will vary. That is to say the list of common used metasyntactic variables depends on where you are. Some of these metasyntactic variables have evolved to a near universal(on earth) standard.

Besides these local used metasyntactic variables there is a global use of the list foo bar baz foobar foobaz garply waldo plugh xyzzy .

Etymology

• foo
  
  Term of disgust ()
  
  Perhaps used while to express the feeling of redundancy of the variable.
  
  Alternatively it can have been derived from the chinese word fu (as with the meaning: happiness).
  
• bar
  
  Just put this stick in here, so we all know this is a place to put something.
  
• foobar
  
  A possible source is the german word furchtbar (terrible) pronounced sloppy in english.
  
• FOOBAR
  Filetransferprotocol Operation Over Big Address Records,
  
• FUBAR
  F**ked Up Beyond All Repair, as some claim to be used by the army in WW2.
  Failed UniBus Address Register, as used in VAX manuals by Digital Equipment Corporation Engineering.