From owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Sep 3 10:39:39 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 01AAF1065673 for ; Sat, 3 Sep 2011 10:39:39 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from lars@larseighner.com) Received: from mail.team1internet.com (mail.team1internet.com [216.110.13.10]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D23E88FC17 for ; Sat, 3 Sep 2011 10:39:36 +0000 (UTC) Received: from larseighner.com (unknown [216.110.13.99]) by mail.team1internet.com (Postfix) with SMTP id 0F0A216B4CB; Sat, 3 Sep 2011 05:39:35 -0500 (CDT) Received: by larseighner.com (nbSMTP-1.00) for uid 1001 lars@larseighner.com; Sat, 3 Sep 2011 05:39:07 -0500 (CDT) Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2011 05:39:06 -0500 (CDT) From: Lars Eighner X-X-Sender: lars@noos.6dollardialup To: Torfinn Ingolfsen In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: <201109011333.p81DX2sN081775@fire.js.berklix.net> <4E61BB11.9070007@FreeBSD.org> User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: MULTIPART/MIXED; BOUNDARY="21774345-1110645530-1315046307=:41273" Cc: FreeBSD Ports ML Subject: Re: suggestion for pkgdb from ports-mgmt/portupgrade: add more explanation X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:39:39 -0000 This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. --21774345-1110645530-1315046307=:41273 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE On Sat, 3 Sep 2011, Torfinn Ingolfsen wrote: >> The correct word for what computer people call a dependency is 'requisit= e.' >> Perl is a requisite of my script. =A0My script is a dependency of perl. > > If somebody decides to "fix" the language of these tools (or any tools > for that matter), they should keep in mind that many users are > non-native speakers of the English language. > Correct English is good, but but plain, simple and common English is bett= er. > No uncommon words please. Curiously enough, the man page for portupgrade begins by defining "required= " and "dependent" accurately. These are adjectives, but a step in the right direction. "Requirement" might do better than "requisite." Unfortunately, the messages emitted by parts of the portupgrade package do not achieve a similar level of clarity. For example, in certain circumstances, portuprade says "Gathering depends." "Depends" is a verb (and now a proprietary name for adult diapers) -- it does not have a sense as a common noun. I understand why such abbreviated messages may be useful in programming and debugging. But it does not belong in the production copy. Either it shoul= d be meaningful to the user or it should be eliminated. --=20 Lars Eighner http://www.larseighner.com/index.html 8800 N IH35 APT 1191 AUSTIN TX 78753-5266 --21774345-1110645530-1315046307=:41273--