0xCAFEBABE
Posted on July 16, 2005
Filed Under /dev/null/ | 229 views |
Geeks truly have geek senses of humour. For instance, this is the file format signifier at the beginning of Java class files: 0xCAFEBABE. (via the wikipedia).
Curious as to why that was chosen instead of, say, 0xDECAFBAD or 0xCAFEDEAD I came across this old, old pre-dot com era thread about the subject which explained all:
Subject: Re: Why CAFEBABE?
Date: Sun, 26 May 1996 22:12:58 -0700
From: Patrick Naughton
To: comp.lang.java
Bill Venners wrote:“The first 4 bytes of every Java class file has the magic value 0xCAFEBABE. I am curious. Does anyone know how this value was chosen? Does anyone who doesn’t know want to venture a guess?”
Strangely enough the magic number for .class files was chosen long before the name Java was ever uttered in reference to this language. We were looking for something fun, unique and easy to remember. 0xcafebabe was better than the second runner-up, 0xdeadbabe.
It is only a coincidence that the oblique reference to the cute barristas at Peet’s Coffee was foreshadowing for the name Java.
That makes a certain sense and… wait a minute… Patrick Naughton… I know that name from somewhere…. Oh, right: Patrick Naughton.
Depending on who you ask, Patrick spent a little or a lot of time trolling for underage girls on various public Internet Relay Chat networks. The various public IRC networks offered him the opportunity to chickenhawk around in chat rooms named #dads&daughterssex and #girls&oldermen. He initiated conversations with girls, boys, probably some number of strange men and eventually, an FBI agent.
0xCAFEBABE, “the oblique reference to the cute barristas at Peet’s Coffee”, executive peadophilia… Java, who knew you could be so sordid?