On 25/01/14 19:39, bob gailer wrote:
On 1/24/2014 10:28 PM, bob gailer wrote:
Sorry for misspelling parens.
My reason for requesting the various names is that it makes
communication clear, explicit and terse.
When someone says just "brackets" what does he actually mean?
In UK English speaking places 'brackets' by default means what
US English speakers call parentheses.
Whereas parentheses means any kind of parenthetical
expression which includes dashes, quotes and any kind of bracket
etc.
This was one of the biggest surprises when I first wrote a book
for a US publisher. One reviewer went so far as to suggest
that my level of "illiteracy" meant the book should be
rejected, because if I spelt parentheses as brackets how
could I possibly know anything about programming...
I actually intended pulling together a list of all the
Americanisms that I had to modify in my original text but
deadlines got in the way and I never got round to it.
But I was amazed at how many language changes were
necessary.
Language is a funny thing.
--
Alan G
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.alan-g.me.uk/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alangauldphotos
_______________________________________________
Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org
To unsubscribe or change subscription options:
https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor
