Posted by Tony Marston on 05/16/06 10:25

"Gary L. Burnore" <gburnore@databasix.com> wrote in message
news:e4avo2$qj2$1@blackhelicopter.databasix.com...
> On Mon, 15 May 2006 23:20:58 +0100, "Tony Marston"
> <tony@NOSPAM.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Andy Jeffries" <news@andyjeffries.co.uk> wrote in message
>>news:pan.2006.05.15.21.05.13.959574@andyjeffries.co.uk...
>>> On Mon, 15 May 2006 11:58:50 +0100, Tony Marston wrote:
>>>> But if a language allows the same name to mean different things if
>>>> specified in a different case this could lead to code which is
>>>> confusing
>>>> and therefore difficult to maintain. It *should* be the primary
>>>> objective
>>>> of every language to avoid such features instead of deliberately
>>>> implementing them. This is why the GOT verb is frowned upon and
>>>> excluded
>>>> from many languages, and why the ALTER verb in COBOL is considered an
>>>> absolute no-no.
>>>>
>>>> In the English language a word has only one meaning regardless of case
>>>> (such as 'dog', 'Dog' and 'DOG') so why should computer languages be
>>>> any
>>>> different?
>>>
>>> Ryan's perfectly valid point aside (different capitalisation of Dog
>>> meaning different things), I actually don't disagree with you entirely.
>>> At least not enough to argue about.
>>
>>Rubbish. The letters 'd', 'o' and 'g' spell 'dog' and mean the same thing
>>regardless of case. take the following three sentences:-
>>1) beware of the dog
>>2) Beware Of The Dog
>>3) BEWARE OF THE DOG.
>
> The word god and God have different meanings to some. Does that help?

The fact that some people choose to apply different meanings is irrelevant.
I am talking about variable and function names in computer languages. Nobody
in their right minds would deliberately create three different variables
such as $foo, $Foo and $FOO as it could create confusion and lead to a
maintenance nightmare. If that isthe case then why should the language allow
that sitatio to be created in the first place?

>>Do these sentences mean the same thing or not? Does the meaning change
>>just
>>because the case changes?
>>
>>> However, I do feel any language ought to be consistent, if the variables
>>> are case-sensitive the functions should be too. It makes the language a
>>> lot more predictable in how it will behave.
>>
>>I'm afraid that the argument that all computer languages should enforce
>>case-sensitivity "just to be consistent" is really pathetic.
>
> Of course it is.

You agree with me? Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs!

--
Tony Marston
http://www.tonymarston.net
http://www.radicore.org

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