[gnuastro-devel] [task #14320] Alternatives for program name suffix

[Lee Kelvin]

Follow-up Comment #3, task #14320 (project gnuastro):

My own sense is to favour the current 'ast' prefix over the proposed 'gap-'
prefix. 

I find 'ast' to be short, simple, and the beginning of a memorable and
meaningful word (astronomy) rather than a perhaps forgettable acronym. I
understand that the term 'utilities' has come to mean something different
within the Gnuastro code, however, to the end-user I suspect this distinction
will largely remain undiscovered. I think therefore that it would come across
as unusual that the acronym for software from the GNU Astronomy Utilities
(GAU) package is GAP.

A perhaps more trivial reason to retain 'ast' is that it can easily be typed
on the command line, and tab completed, all with one hand! This probably makes
it easier and quicker to type, but an expert in ergonomics is better placed to
fully answer that one!

On the topic of whether or not to add a dash to improve legibility, my own
sense again is to favour the current approach with no dash. Thinking on this,
I can't think of any command line software that I regularly use which has a
dash in the name. I think there's a good design reason for this, most likely
because it's an extra superfluous character which merely increases typing
time. Or perhaps to avoid confusion with the --argument syntax which typically
follows the invocation of a program on the command line.

I do however fully support the removal of extra words from program names,
e.g., astimgwarp to astwarp. 

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