[OT] Confusion provoked by TC naming ambiguities

[SQUIRE]

Heh, heh, this gets nicely confusing so let's try and get the terminology right.

[1] a TAB is an appendage as defined earlier and this well describes tabs as used by TC, Opera, etc. It should not be used when you mean:

[2] a TAG, which is usually a descriptive label. Column or row headers are tags which identify a column or row. Whether or not they have been given a sort function or can be moved about by dragging is irrelevant.

Of the following I like the last one best: column header = column tag = column name = column label

[3] a FLAG is an emblem (abstract symbol) which shouldn't normally be used in the same sense as a label. It also has a special meaning for programmers as in 'bit flags', so calling column headers 'flags' would cause some dismay.

[4] The single word 'Tabstop' does not exist in English - it's always 2 separate words. In any case, it's a position marker, not a label or appendage so it cannot be interchanged with either 'column header' or 'tab'.

Hopefully that's cleared the air a little and I haven't added even more to the disorder!

[szlori]

I don't think users would have a problem if tabstop headers would be called column headers.

Lefteous, that's from your 2nd post.

See how confusing it is?
Lefteous was referring to something else there...

[Wilhelm M.]

See how confusing it is?
Lefteous was referring to something else there...

But we should not let it appear more confusing than it really is . The point is that TC defines the widths of the columns by the positions of the tab stops (thanks SQIRE). So the name "tab stop" is essentially unnecessary in TC. IMHO, what the user is really interested in are the widths and not the positions. TC is a file manager and not a word processor.

So I would suggest to remove the "tab stops" altogether and replace them by "column widths".

[Lefteous]

What could be a good new name for the option "Adjust tabs to window width"?

( In this case tabs is used instead of tabstops. I guess this is the most confusing naming.)




Something else I have found in the help file:

Tabstop header
The tabstop header allows sorting of the file list by name, extension, size, and date by clicking on the appropriate header.

Well!

[Wilhelm M.]

Now, "tabstop header" is really funny, because it is NOT a tab stop header at all. (Remember: the tab stop is simply a marker at a defined position, like the tick on a scale.) It's a column header and nothing else.

This is a perfect way to make things complicated...

[SQUIRE]

Now, "tabstop header" is really funny.....

Yes, I agree. It's a meaningless phrase and quite an ugly construct.

What could be a good new name for the option "Adjust tabs to window width"?

Well, if we want precise naming conventions we should first dump the word 'window' here, since the window is normally taken to be the entire visible GUI i.e. left and right pane/panel, tool bars, button bars, etc.

So it becomes

[1] Adjust column names to panel width, or
[2] Fit column tags to panel width, or simply
[3] Fit columns within panel, or
[4] Fit columns inside panel, or
[5] Adjust panel columns

Sorry, brain fade x2 - can't think of anything shorter!

[Lefteous]

2SQUIRE

brain fade

Are you sure the word "tabs" should be part of this option

[SQUIRE]

Are you sure the word "tabs" should be part of this option

ROFL! It's also column header fade!

Thx, I've edited the post.