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Posted by Ed Mullen on 02/02/07 04:46
dorayme wrote:
> In article <OdCdnZBVCecPLl_YnZ2dnUVZ_tijnZ2d@comcast.com>,
> Ed Mullen <ed@edmullen.net> wrote:
>
>>> Well, what you are doing, if I may say, is concentrating on the
>>> cases that make it hard to know. This does not make the clear
>>> cases disappear. Simply imagine a clearer case, your wife gives
>>> you a list of things to get from the dairy section. Or a
>>> particular shelf even!
>> Are you saying that order, in this example, makes no difference?
>
> What am saying is that if you were to make a shopping list which
> you would access on your handheld to remind yourself in the store
> and the list was of items on one small shelf, the order of the
> items might well not matter.
Ah! Ok, agreed. If I, say, needed 75 watt and 100 watt light bulbs, no
matter what order they are in. Indeed.
> If the order mattered to you, you
> might use an ordered list even in this case (to indicate to get
> the lower order numbered items first in case you run out of money.
Again, indeed. And I would NOT care if the list items were numbered or
not (I do know how to read from top to bottom and understand the
intrinsic implication of that top-down order). Um, but, my point is
that in this HTML standards thingie we are grappling with, a <ul> is not
numbered and a <ol> is and the nomenclature chosen for them is silly.
The lists are both in order and the order matters in virtually all
cases. It should have been <nl> for numbered list and <bl> for bulleted
list. And, maybe, <pl> for plain list?
I suppose the upshot is that, while it's been an enjoyable and
fascinating discussion, I'm going to use the damned things as I see fit
no matter what they are called, pedants not-with-standing (and I'm not
directing that at you!). The meaning comes first, then we'll figure out
how to print the damned books (Web pages, etc.). Because you're dead on
with your comments about real life application.
> There is no denying the sense of the distinction, but it is an
> interesting question (when not flirting with sea monkeys, say)
> how it fits in real life cases.
Exactly, and a wonderful point. Well, about the lists. Yes, and also
about real life versus what an engineer's mental process may have been
during the design phase of this. Well, hell, ok, about the sea monkeys too!
And now I must go replenish my libation. That is, very much, first (and
next) on my list. Un-numbered of course.
--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://mozilla.edmullen.net
http://abington.edmullen.net
All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
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