Command line and micrometer: what they have in common

  1. Step 1. Command line — evolved from — Typewriter. The teletype was a printing terminal.
  2. Step 2. Typewriter — works like — Movable type. Each typebar carries a piece of movable type pressed against the paper.
  3. Step 3. Movable type — works like — Interchangeable parts. Movable type is an early case of interchangeable parts: identical letters move from line to line.
  4. Step 4. Interchangeable parts — uses — Micrometer. Precise measurement ensures interchangeability.

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