Why is the caret made, and why does it blink?
Why is the caret made, and why does it blink?
It's the vertical line that blinks in text boxes and documents when you edit. Other than that I don't know much about it.
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It's called a cursor.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursor_(user_interface)
Cursor is Latin for 'runner'. A cursor is a name given to the transparent slide engraved with a hairline used to mark a point on a slide rule. The term was then transferred to computers through analogy
"Caret" is also correct, and more specific, since "Cursor" can also mean the mouse cursor.
Yes , the link I provided also explains the etymology of "mouse". In short, the invention of a free moving cursor was initially called a "bug", but since the caret cursor was also called a "cat" they called it mouse. The first mouse pointers were operated by trackballs, so the physical device didn't resemble a mouse until later.
It's called a symbol.
Never seen that used in this context, but I'm sure it has lots of names.
The original patent is on cursor though. https://patents.google.com/patent/US3531796
Which is the same as the marker on a slide ruler was called.
The subject in question is a "caret". It's also known by the more generic word cursor (or slightly more specific "text cursor") but seeing as there's a specific word for the item in question it makes sense to use that, even if both are appropriate. They're all a kind of symbol so we could just call it that. But that's even less helpful, isn't it.