Short form of utility, often referring to a computer program that performs a specific task or system function.
Abbreviated from 'utility' in the 1970s-80s computing era. From Latin 'utilitas' meaning usefulness, derived from 'uti' meaning to use.
In programming culture, 'utils' are the unsung heroes of software - small, focused programs that do one thing exceptionally well. The Unix philosophy of 'do one thing and do it well' made utilities fundamental to how we think about modular software design.
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