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Posted by Colin Fine on 10/17/07 11:35
Jerry Stuckle wrote:
> Colin Fine wrote:
>
>> Jerry Stuckle wrote:
>>
>>> tony@marston-home.demon.co.uk wrote:
>>>
>>>>>> What I object to is being told that I MUST use one case or the
>>>>>> other just to be
>>>>>> *consistent* with everyone else, especially when I disagree with
>>>>>> their
>>>>>> reason for choosing one case over the other in the first place.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> The majority of programmers disagree with you on this. Consistency
>>>>> and conventions are preferred when working on a particular project or
>>>>> platform -- it cuts down on errors and allows one to convey greater
>>>>> meaning.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I disagree. The majority of programmers that I have worked with on
>>>> case-insensitive languages do NOT like being told that case is suddenly
>>>> important, that you must use one in preference to the other. It is like
>>>> saying that although the language allows you to do something either
>>>> *this* way or *that* way from now on everybody MUST do it *that* way
>>>> for no other reason than to be consistent.
>>>>
>>>
>>> He didn't say "The majority of programmers that you have worked with on
>>> > case-insensitive languages".
>>>
>>> He said "The majority of programmers" - a much larger group. And I
>>> have to agree with him.
>>>
>>> I've also taught C, C++ and Java to COBOL programmers. Sure, they
>>> had trouble getting used to the case sensitivity. But most got used
>>> to it. Only those who refused to change didn't.
>>>
>>> But then if they had their way we'd probably still be programming
>>> with switches on the front panel.
>>>
>>
>> The unsupported assumption - or insinuation - that the other party in
>> an argument is somehow on the side of the past is a worthless and
>> rather despicable kind of argument.
>>
>> Colin
>>
>
> Nope. That's exactly where he is. The (old) languages he's used are not
> case sensitive, so no language should be.
>
> If that's not being "on the side of the past", what it?
>
So your logic is "this is how we do it now, therefore it must be better"?
Perhaps it's not progress - perhaps it's nothing more than fashion.
Nobody's given a convincing reason why case sensitivity is better. (The
nearest to it is the stuff about the cost of doing the comparisons. That
might have been an issue when Unix and C started up, but it's not very
convincing today.).
You may well be right that it will become increasingly difficult to find
systems that aren't case insensitive. But I've yet to hear a reason why
this is to be welcomed, while I do know a couple of reasons not to
welcome it.
Colin
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