[Tcs-lc] Human Readable - the thread formally known as 'Name ofNomenCode'

Paul Kirk p.kirk at cabi.org
Tue Mar 29 02:56:42 PST 2005


I'm all for selective use of capitalization to make things even more readable, especially as most of the "labels" we use (database object names, XML "labels", Domain Names, URLs) should/must have no spaces in them; so NomenclaturalCode.
 
Paul

________________________________

From: Richard Pyle [mailto:deepreef at bishopmuseum.org]
Sent: Tue 29/03/2005 11:48
To: tcs-lc at ecoinformatics.org
Subject: Re: [Tcs-lc] Human Readable - the thread formally known as 'Name ofNomenCode'




I don't think that readability matters at all for the long term.  But we'll 
never *get* to the long term if we can't get past the short-term, and in the 
short-term, I think that readability matters a *lot*. 

A "Standard" is only as valuable to the extent that it is adopted by the 
bulk of the practitioners.  Taxonomists, and consumers of taxonomic data are 
a notoriously fickle bunch, and until there are no-brainer desktop tools to 
completely hide the XML (to the extent that the vast majority of users don't 
even know that data are formatted in XML), then the early adopters will be 
looking at the raw files.  The more intuitive it is, the more likely they 
will "get" it, and the more likely the standard will take root. 

I've changed my position, and now agree with the others who opt for 
"nomenclaturalcode" (instead of "nomencode") -- but I still prefer it as an 
attribute, than as an element. 

Aloha, 
Rich 

> -----Original Message----- 
> From: tcs-lc-bounces at ecoinformatics.org 
> [mailto:tcs-lc-bounces at ecoinformatics.org]On Behalf Of Roger Hyam 
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 10:53 PM 
> To: tcs-lc at ecoinformatics.org 
> Subject: [Tcs-lc] Human Readable - the thread formally known as 'Name 
> ofNomenCode' 
> 
> 
> I am all for readability and it is something I am just sitting down to 
> look at in the TCS today. This is partially inspired by trying to put 
> together some instance documents over the weekend. This matter does not 
> only include field names but also general structure. 
> 
> How important do people consider it is to be able to read/hand craft TCS 
> instances - at least simple one? 
> 
> Roger 
> 
> -- 
> 
> ============================================== 
>  Roger Hyam 
> ---------------------------------------------- 
>  Biodiversity Informatics 
>  Independent Web Development 
> ---------------------------------------------- 
>  http://www.hyam.net  roger at hyam.net 
> ---------------------------------------------- 
>  2 Janefield Rise, Lauder, TD2 6SP, UK. 
>  T: +44 (0)1578 722782 M: +44 (0)7890 341847 
> ============================================== 
> 
> 
> 


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