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What's the blinking vertical line called?

According to Wikipedia, it has several names:

• caret
• text cursor
• text insertion cursor
• text selection cursor
• blinking text cursor

Its purpose is to show the user where text will be placed when entered. It doesn't have to be a vertical line; it can also be an underscore or a solid rectangle. Also, it doesn't have to flash; it can also be steady, depending on the software.

What about the capital I text cursor?

According to computerhope.com, the name of the "capital I" that appears when your hover the cursor over text is called the:

• I-cursor, or the
• I-beam pointer

And what about the pointy arrow?

Of course, their brother is the the arrow-shaped cursor, which is called the:

• mouse cursor
• pointer
• mouse pointer, or the
• selection cursor

It doesn't have to be an arrow. It can be anything, but the Windows default icons are an arrow and a pointing hand.

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