Why is TextEncoder Named TextEncoder and Not TextDecoder?

I see where you're coming from! But actually, TextEncoder is named that way because it encodes text into bytes, which makes sense. Each media type uses consistent terminology: you encode something into a byte format and decode it back into a readable form. Plus, strings can have varying memory representations depending on the environment, so it's all about how the data gets transformed into machine-readable forms.

Actually, the 'code' in encode/decode refers to the way information is formatted into bytes, not just code points. For example, TextEncoder specifically outputs in UTF-8, but TextDecoder can handle many types of encodings like windows-1252 and big5. Think of it like encrypting and decrypting: you encode to convert to a different format and decode to revert back. If the encoding is wrong, that can lead to issues like mojibake, which is pretty wild!

The whole encoding/decoding thing is kind of a concept we've had for ages, you know? The prefixes make sense when you think about it: 'enc' implies converting to a different format, while 'dec' is about retrieving the original. It's like humanity's collective experience with data transformation! It's not just one person who defined these terms but a progression of ideas. Just like the way we handled information since ancient times.