[r6rs-discuss] [Formal] "Byte-vector" would be a better name than "bytes" for a data type.

From: Eli Barzilay <eli>
Date: Tue Nov 14 15:01:52 2006

On Nov 14, John Cowan wrote:
> Eli Barzilay scripsit:
>
> > * so `byte-string' is a better name, but then `character-' is
> > implicit in one but not the other. Similar asymmetry to
> > `length' vs `vector-length'.
>
> This seems to be an argument in favor of "byte-string" rather than
> against it.

Like I said, I'd have no problem with "byte-string" if "string"
changes to "character-string".


> > * so `bytes' is a good compromise. (I use "byte strings" in text
> > instead of "byteses".)
>
> The fact that you do so is the best evidence that using "bytes" for
> a singular object is a bad idea. Scheme programs *are* text --
> highly conventionalized, but text.

I strongly disagree with any kind of equation that involves program
text and human text. And BTW, I have written code that uses names
like `fieldss' for a list of fields. In natural text, it doesn't
bother me that to pluralize one step you add an "s", and for a second
step you prefix it with "list of ". But in code that does bother me.

-- 
          ((lambda (x) (x x)) (lambda (x) (x x)))          Eli Barzilay:
                  http://www.barzilay.org/                 Maze is Life!
Received on Tue Nov 14 2006 - 15:01:46 UTC

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