change (local) to localhost and what's the difference

Two questions
Once sql server has been installed how to change from (local) to
localhost or the other way arround from (local) to localhost? (currently
set (local) and want to change to localhost.
Secondly, what the hell is the difference between them. On development
machines I have installed sometimes localhost will not work but (local)
will. This is the case even when the hosts (<win>/system32/drivers/etc)
file has an entry like the following
127.0.0.1 localhost
Seems very confusing to have two different ways to refer the 'local
machine'
?
See my reply in the other group.
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
"who" <whome@.spambucket.com> wrote in message news:4081E570.CF1AA587@.spambucket.com...
> Two questions
> Once sql server has been installed how to change from (local) to
> localhost or the other way arround from (local) to localhost? (currently
> set (local) and want to change to localhost.
> Secondly, what the hell is the difference between them. On development
> machines I have installed sometimes localhost will not work but (local)
> will. This is the case even when the hosts (<win>/system32/drivers/etc)
> file has an entry like the following
> 127.0.0.1 localhost
>
> Seems very confusing to have two different ways to refer the 'local
> machine'
> ?
>