The “Esc” key (short for “escape“, that is to say “escape”) is without a doubt one of the most long-lived and iconic keys on our computer keyboards. Always located in the upper left corner, its story begins in 60s thanks to the inventiveness of Bob Bemera programmer working for IBM, was looking for a solution that would break down communication limitations between computers. At the time, each machine used its own language and exchanged information using different methods. Bemer invented the “Esc” key as a tool to facilitate the “switching” of the computer from one code to anotherfacilitating compatibility between different systems. Today this key has a more marginal use and is mainly used to cancel commands, close certain dialog boxes or exit specific modes in which the operating system is found.
How the “Esc” key was born and what function it had
Bob Bemerwith his practical and far-sighted vision, understood how important an “interrupt” button was, which allowed users to have full control of the machine. His foresight is also demonstrated by the fact that, already in the 1970s, he began to warn the IT community of the time against Millennium bug or Y2K bugsa potentially destructive problem which, according to him, would have put computers at risk in 2000 and which, even today, is remembered as one of the 5 most expensive bugs in the history of computing (not so much for its effects, but for the expense faced by companies and governments to avoid potential damage).
Returning to the “Esc” key, this represented for Bemer the result of his work in finding the solution to a rather important problem for the time. As explained in an old article from The New York Timesin the time of Bemer «computers from different manufacturers communicated in a variety of codes» and for this reason «invented the “Esc” key as a solution for programmers to switch from one type of code to another». Subsequently, when computer codes were finally standardized (an undertaking which was also made possible thanks to the contribution of Bemer himself), “Esc” turned into a sort of interrupt button available on the PC, «a way to hit the computer and say “Stop it”».
About this, second Jack Dennerleinhuman-computer interaction expert from Harvard School of Public Healththe “Esc” key embodies a sort of “control button” that has helped people feel more confident «helping to lead the information revolution of the 1970s and 1980s».
How the “Esc” key is used today
Considering the fact that the “Esc” key no longer performs its original task – that is, allowing programmers to move from one type of code to another quickly and painlessly – the question may arise spontaneously: what is it for today? In modern operating systems, it allows you to clear search boxes, stop downloads, and close menus and pop-up windows. It is also useful in games as a pause or stop button. In command line systems and some text editors, it is used to switch operating modes, a functionality inherited from traditional terminals. Although today the use of the “Esc” command is evidently more limited than in the past, its contribution to computing remains absolutely relevant!
