1
0
mirror of https://github.com/nbeaver/why-linux-is-better.git synced 2025-08-30 01:00:06 +02:00

Excerpt opinions against.

This commit is contained in:
Nathaniel Beaver
2015-08-21 18:20:32 -05:00
parent ab1ca95b45
commit 9ab0567193

View File

@@ -305,41 +305,53 @@ to uppercase or lowercase.
http://xahlee.info/UnixResource_dir/_/fileCaseSens.html
Strictly speaking, modern Windows filenames could be case-sensitive,
but they aren't because the `Windows API for opening files`_ `is not case-sensitive`_,
i.e. the `default call`_ to ``CreateFile``
does not enable the ``FILE_FLAG_POSIX_SEMANTICS`` option.
However, there is no shortage of opinions that this was a bad choice. [#]_ [#]_ [#]_ [#]_ [#]_ [#]_
.. _Windows API for opening files: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa363858(v=vs.85).aspx
.. _is not case-sensitive: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/100625
.. _default call: http://www.nicklowe.org/2012/02/understanding-case-sensitivity-in-windows-obcaseinsensitive-file_case_sensitive_search/
.. [#] https://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2003/004483.html
This is to maintain `compatibility with MS-DOS`_ filesystems,
which was based on 86-DOS,
which was heavily influenced by CP/M [#CPM_case_insensitive]_ ,
which was heavily influenced by RT-11,
which was a competitor with Unix on the PDP-11.
Anecdotally, case sensitivity in programs is known to be error-prone for
both beginners and experienced users. Bob Frankston, a Multics alumnus
and the co-inventor of VisiCalc, once said it was the biggest mistake
that Multics had inflicted on the world.
.. _compatibility with MS-DOS: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa365247(v=vs.85).aspx
.. [#] http://xahlee.info/UnixResource_dir/_/fileCaseSens.html
People have strong opinions about case-sensitivity in general.
Mac Windows users have to have filenames read to them over the phone by
support techs. They have to be able to write little sticky notes to their
mothers about how to open up the mail program, without worrying about how the
filenames are capitalized. Haven't you ever fumed over a URL with initial-caps
in the folder names in the path, having to fiddle with capitalization until you
get a response that's anything but a 404? Haven't you ever been secretly
pleased that e-mail addresses aren't case-sensitive?
In math, many typographical attributes are used to distinguish names.
Besides (R-r), math uses boldface for vector quantities, outline-face
for sets, Greek letters for angles, etc. Maxima is terribly
impoverished this way, and doesn't even have any conventions for
representing such things (e.g. that bold_v displays a boldface v in
formatted output).
.. [#] http://blog.codinghorror.com/the-case-for-case-insensitivity/
[ . . . ]
One of the most pernicious problems with C-based languages is that they're
case-sensitive. While this decision may have made sense in 1972 when the
language was created, one wonders why the sins of Kernighan and Ritchie have
been blindly perpetuated for the last thirty-three years.
Anecdotally, case sensitivity in programs is known to be error-prone for
both beginners and experienced users. Bob Frankston, a Multics alumnus
and the co-inventor of VisiCalc, once said it was the biggest mistake
that Multics had inflicted on the world.
Unless you have extremely compelling reasons to make something case-sensitive,
case insensitivity is a much more human being friendly design choice. Designing
software that's easier for machines is questionable at best.
https://www.ma.utexas.edu/pipermail/maxima/2003/004483.html
.. [#] http://www.somethinkodd.com/oddthinking/2005/10/27/the-case-for-case-preserving-case-insensitivity/
There is no longer any excuse for making humans learn and handle the quirks of
the way computers store upper- and lower-case characters. Instead, software
should handle the quirks of human language.
.. [#] http://tiamat.tsotech.com/case-sensitivity-sucks
Since it appears to have manifested out of opinion rather than necessity, it
could be said case-sensitivity is the worst way that modern technology sucks.
.. [#] http://www.raizlabs.com/graiz/2007/02/11/linuxunix-case-sensitivity/
This is really stupid, it causes a ton of problems and there is no longer any
good reason to have case sensitivity in an OS.
There are also passionate views to the opposite effect.
Many of us consider those filesystems which cannot preserve case, but
which accept "input" in random case, to be so utterly broken as to be