Re: lynx-dev some proposed nit fixes in lynx.cfg

[Doug Kaufman]

On Sat, 7 Nov 1998, Larry W. Virden wrote:

> > > -# trailing white space will be trimmed, and a single space added by Lynx
> > > +# trailing white space will be trimmed, and a single space is added by 
> > > Lynx
> > > ...
> 
> I disagree that was correct originally.

This is parallel structure, expanding to "trailing white space will be
trimmed, and a single space will be added by Lynx". Your change loses
the structure, with the first part in future tense, and the second part
present.

> 
> > > -# their actual URL's.  See the sample jumps files in the samples
> > > +# their actual URL's.  See the jumps files in the lynx*/samples
> 
> In this case, URL's should be URLs.  Sorry - I started to make that change
> (as well as a pass thru fixing all the incorrect uses of it's) and got
> sidetracked by the kids needing to leave.  I also disagree that saying
> sample jumps files in the samples directory is better than saying the
> jumps files in the lynx*/samples directory.

The reason I liked the original was that it indicated specifically that
the file was a sample file (i.e. to be changed by the user) and was in
the samples subdirectory. I suspect that many users wouldn't understand
that "lynx*/samples" refers to "lynx2-8-1/samples". This requires at least
simple knowledge of regular expressions, which may be too much to ask.

> 
> > > ...
> > > -# Additional, alternate jumps files can be defined and mapped to
> > > +# Additional alternate jumps files can be defined and mapped to
> 
> My college English book indicated the comma in this case was a coin toss...

These are both acceptable, but mean different things. The first talks
about additional files which can be alternate jumps files. The latter
about more alternate jumps files (implying at least one alternate jumps
file already in existence).

> 
> > > -# CHARACTER_SET defines the display character set, i.e., that assumed to 
> > > be
> > > +# CHARACTER_SET defines the display character set, i.e., assumed to be
> 
> I can't fathom how that "that" can be correct.

This is actually quite correct. There is an implied antecedent,
"character set", so this expands to "that character set assumed to be"

> > I think that this might be better as "It must be specified relative to
> > the user's home directory"
> 
> That's how I started to write it - but I had just worked thru the META CHARSET
> section and thought using the words prepended might be a bit easy for the
> novice reader to figure out than the idea of relative pathnames.  Either
> way works fine for me.

My thought was that the word "prepend" is an unusual term that would
send many users to the dictionary. 

I think that this may be enough discussion of fine points of English
usage. The key is to make the document as clear and unambiguous as
possible to the novice user, while keeping the technical information
needed by those more experienced. It doesn't have to be grammatically
correct as long as users can understand what we mean.
                            Doug

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Doug Kaufman
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