Re: trivia: origin of names for UPPER() and LOWER()

"Michel Cadot" <micadot{at}altern{dot}org> wrote:

>
>"Mark C. Stock" <mcstockX_at_Xenquery .com> a écrit dans le message de news: MIqdneW3P7MBEy_eRVn-sA_at_comcast.com...
>| it occurred to my that for some whose native tongue is not english, the
>| names of these two functions might seem a bit odd, as would the phrases
>| 'upper case' and 'lower case'
>|
>| so, trivia question: what's the derivation (etymology, if you will) of the
>| terms 'upper case' and 'lower case' from which these functions get their
>| name?
>|
>| ++ mcs
>|
>|
>
>I think it comes from the typewriter.
>When you have to type a capital letter you press the shift button
>which elevates the carriage.
>So, small letters were typed when carriage is in lower position
>and capital letters when it is in upper position.
>
>(Sorry if the technical words are not the correct ones)
>Regards
>Michel Cadot
>

Actually it was from typesetting days:

From:
http://www.bellevuelinux.org/lower_case.html

The terms lower case and upper case originated from the way that type (i.e., individual letters that were cast from special metal alloys for use in printing) was stored in the days of hand typesetting. The type was sorted by letter and kept in specially designed wooden or metal cases, with separate cases for capital and small letters. Usually the two cases were placed one above the other on a rack on the typesetter's desk, with the case containing the capital letters (i.e., the upper case) positioned above that containing the small letters (i.e., the lower case).

hth
PS:
( Is there anything you can't find with a Google search ;-) ) Received on Wed Dec 28 2005 - 08:36:01 CST