GNU bug report logs - #56401
"Case folding" should be called "ignore case"

Previous Next

To add a comment to this bug, you must first unarchive it, by sending
a message to control AT debbugs.gnu.org, with unarchive 56401 in the body.
You can then email your comments to 56401 AT debbugs.gnu.org in the normal way.

Toggle the display of automated, internal messages from the tracker.

Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: "Case folding" should be called "ignore case"
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2022 09:04:25 -0700

Severity: wishlist

The "case fold" terminology is too technical and not very user-friendly.
In other software, in most user-facing contexts, it is called "ignore
case".

Please consider renaming all variables, commands, and documentation to
refer to "ignore case" instead of "case folding".

Message #8 received at 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
Cc: 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#56401: "Case folding" should be called "ignore case"
Date: Tue, 05 Jul 2022 18:59:51 +0200

Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se> writes:

> The "case fold" terminology is too technical and not very user-friendly.
> In other software, in most user-facing contexts, it is called "ignore
> case".
>
> Please consider renaming all variables, commands, and documentation to
> refer to "ignore case" instead of "case folding".

I agree that "ignore case" would be better, but it somehow seems like
most people don't have much problem with the "case folding" terminology?

In any case, I think renaming all the functions and variables here would
not be worth the churn -- there's quite a lot of them.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

Message #11 received at 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#56401: "Case folding" should be called "ignore case"
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2022 19:11:00 +0200

Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org> writes:

> I agree that "ignore case" would be better, but it somehow seems like
> most people don't have much problem with the "case folding" terminology?

I had to look up the exact meaning today, FWIW.

(I confused myself on whether or not "case folding" is the same as
"ignore case" or its inverse.)

Message #14 received at 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Visuwesh <visuweshm <at> gmail.com>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
Subject: Re: bug#56401: "Case folding" should be called "ignore case"
Date: Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:47:32 +0530

[செவ்வாய் ஜூலை 05, 2022] Lars Ingebrigtsen wrote:

> Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se> writes:
>
>> The "case fold" terminology is too technical and not very user-friendly.
>> In other software, in most user-facing contexts, it is called "ignore
>> case".
>>
>> Please consider renaming all variables, commands, and documentation to
>> refer to "ignore case" instead of "case folding".
>
> I agree that "ignore case" would be better, but it somehow seems like
> most people don't have much problem with the "case folding" terminology?

I find the term really hard to remember too.  I wonder if we can define
an apropos alias for "case fold" in `apropos-synonyms' but I think that
only handles single words.

Message #17 received at 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#56401: "Case folding" should be called "ignore case"
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2022 19:26:12 +0200

Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org> writes:

> In any case, I think renaming all the functions and variables here would
> not be worth the churn -- there's quite a lot of them.

On the other hand, you only need to do it once.

Message #20 received at 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Phil Sainty <psainty <at> orcon.net.nz>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
Subject: Re: bug#56401: "Case folding" should be called "ignore case"
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2022 16:37:54 +1200

On 2022-07-06 04:59, Lars Ingebrigtsen wrote:
> Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se> writes:
>> The "case fold" terminology is too technical and not very
>> user-friendly.  In other software, in most user-facing contexts,
>> it is called "ignore case".

"Ignore case" is in fact the precise term used in the "Default search
options" menu, so we do already cater to newcomers in that way.

"Case" isn't the only thing that can be "folded" though, and I don't
think "ignore" is always a good verb.  I don't think `replace-char-fold'
should be `replace-char-ignore'.

OTOH we do already have more than one term for this, unfortunately.
"lax-whitespace" should probably use the "fold" terminology too?

I agree that "fold" isn't intuitive to newcomers, but I also think
it's good to try to limit the number of different terms used to
express a concept.


-Phil

Message #23 received at 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
Subject: Re: bug#56401: "Case folding" should be called "ignore case"
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2022 17:36:05 +0800

Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org> writes:

> In any case, I think renaming all the functions and variables here would
> not be worth the churn -- there's quite a lot of them.

+1.  For what it's worth, the glossary in the Emacs manual also tells
you what "Case Folding" means.

Message #26 received at 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
To: Phil Sainty <psainty <at> orcon.net.nz>
Cc: 56401 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Subject: Re: bug#56401: "Case folding" should be called "ignore case"
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2022 12:40:05 +0200

Phil Sainty <psainty <at> orcon.net.nz> writes:

> I agree that "fold" isn't intuitive to newcomers, but I also think
> it's good to try to limit the number of different terms used to
> express a concept.

Agreed, though I would add that it isn't intuitive to old users either
(case in point: me).  So let's start moving in the right direction.

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.