Re: Do we prefer software that works or software that looks good?

Robert Treat wrote:

>On Saturday 24 April 2004 01:23, Shachar Shemesh wrote:
>
>
>>Tom Lane wrote:
>>
>>
>>>PS: I resisted the temptation to SET THIS MESSAGE IN ALL UPPER CASE
>>>to make the point about readability. But if you want to argue the
>>>point with me, I'll be happy to do that for the rest of the thread.
>>>
>>>
>>Yes, it's a well known rhetoric technique. Take whatever argument your
>>opponent say, and exagerate it to an absurd.
>>
>>
>>
>
>Kind of like changing the subject line of a thread to imply your side of the
>argument is the one that has technical merit and the other side is being
>petty and/or frivolous?
>
It is my understanding that the discussion with Tom was 100% about the
question in the subject line. There is no question that the SQL standard
dictates that unquoted identifiers should be folded to uppercase. There
is no question (not from me) that upper case is ugly. The only question
is whether we should prefer standard to asthetic.

> Anyone who has studied software useability will
>know that uppercase should, in general, be avoided as it hurts readability.
>
>
You convinced me! let's change the SQL standard.

>It isn't about "looking pretty", it's about being more usable.
>
>Robert Treat
>
>
Ok. I'm willing to change the subject to "are hurting eyes due to
uppercase preferable to changing lots of code when migrating to PG from
other database due to standard incomplience", if it would make you feel
better.

The point is that I am not against lower case, or pro uppercase. I HATE
uppercase. I do think, however, that standards should be followed. The
question is, when all is said and done, which is more useable. A DB that
presents unquoted identifiers as uppercase, or one that allows easier
migration of client apps from other DBs.

I'll also mention that if asthetic/readability is all that bothers you,
we can add a flag to psql that displays all caps as lowercase.

Shachar

--
Shachar Shemesh
Lingnu Open Source Consulting
http://www.lingnu.com/