Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

Started by Peter Smithover 4 years ago8 messageshackers
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#1Peter Smith
smithpb2250@gmail.com

Hi.

Some regex exposed a bunch of typos scattered across PG comments and docs.

They are all of the "uses-an-instead-of-a" (or vice versa) variety.

PSA a small patch to fix them.

------
Kind Regards,
Peter Smith.
Fujitsu Australia

Attachments:

v1-0001-Fix-typos-for-an-versus-a.patchapplication/octet-stream; name=v1-0001-Fix-typos-for-an-versus-a.patchDownload+9-10
#2Michael Paquier
michael@paquier.xyz
In reply to: Peter Smith (#1)
Re: Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

On Thu, Dec 09, 2021 at 07:30:48AM +1100, Peter Smith wrote:

Some regex exposed a bunch of typos scattered across PG comments and docs.

They are all of the "uses-an-instead-of-a" (or vice versa) variety.

PSA a small patch to fix them.

Good catches.

-   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given an `-o'
+   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given a `-o'
    # argument, so we may need to know it at that point already.
On this one, I think that you are right, and I can see that this is
the most common practice (aka grep --oids).  But my brain also tells
me that this is not completely wrong either.  Thoughts?
--
Michael
#3David G. Johnston
david.g.johnston@gmail.com
In reply to: Michael Paquier (#2)
Re: Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

On Wed, Dec 8, 2021 at 5:12 PM Michael Paquier <michael@paquier.xyz> wrote:

On Thu, Dec 09, 2021 at 07:30:48AM +1100, Peter Smith wrote:

-   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given an `-o'
+   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given a `-o'
# argument, so we may need to know it at that point already.
On this one, I think that you are right, and I can see that this is
the most common practice (aka grep --oids).  But my brain also tells
me that this is not completely wrong either.  Thoughts?

I would read that aloud most comfortably using "an". I found an article
that seems to further support this since it both sounds like a vowel (oh)
and is also a letter (oh).

https://www.grammar.com/a-vs-an-when-to-use

David J.

#4Greg Nancarrow
gregn4422@gmail.com
In reply to: David G. Johnston (#3)
Re: Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

On Thu, Dec 9, 2021 at 11:25 AM David G. Johnston
<david.g.johnston@gmail.com> wrote:

-   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given an `-o'
+   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given a `-o'
# argument, so we may need to know it at that point already.
On this one, I think that you are right, and I can see that this is
the most common practice (aka grep --oids).  But my brain also tells
me that this is not completely wrong either.  Thoughts?

I would read that aloud most comfortably using "an". I found an article that seems to further support this since it both sounds like a vowel (oh) and is also a letter (oh).

https://www.grammar.com/a-vs-an-when-to-use

What about the "-" before the "o"?
Wouldn't it be read as "dash o" or "minus o"? This would mean "a" is
correct, not "an", IMHO.

Regards,
Greg Nancarrow
Fujitsu Australia

#5Peter Smith
smithpb2250@gmail.com
In reply to: Michael Paquier (#2)
Re: Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

On Thu, Dec 9, 2021 at 11:12 AM Michael Paquier <michael@paquier.xyz> wrote:

On Thu, Dec 09, 2021 at 07:30:48AM +1100, Peter Smith wrote:

Some regex exposed a bunch of typos scattered across PG comments and docs.

They are all of the "uses-an-instead-of-a" (or vice versa) variety.

PSA a small patch to fix them.

Good catches.

-   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given an `-o'
+   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given a `-o'
# argument, so we may need to know it at that point already.
On this one, I think that you are right, and I can see that this is
the most common practice (aka grep --oids).  But my brain also tells
me that this is not completely wrong either.  Thoughts?

Personally. I read "-o" as "dash oh" and so the "a" instead of "an"
seemed right for me.

YMMV.

(But it is not worth spending more than 30 seconds debating on this so
I really don't care whatever is decided)

------
Kind Regards,
Peter Smith
Fujitsu Australia

#6David G. Johnston
david.g.johnston@gmail.com
In reply to: Greg Nancarrow (#4)
Re: Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

On Wed, Dec 8, 2021 at 5:32 PM Greg Nancarrow <gregn4422@gmail.com> wrote:

On Thu, Dec 9, 2021 at 11:25 AM David G. Johnston
<david.g.johnston@gmail.com> wrote:

-   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given an `-o'
+   # safe: cross compilers may not add the suffix if given a `-o'
# argument, so we may need to know it at that point already.
On this one, I think that you are right, and I can see that this is
the most common practice (aka grep --oids).  But my brain also tells
me that this is not completely wrong either.  Thoughts?

I would read that aloud most comfortably using "an". I found an article

that seems to further support this since it both sounds like a vowel (oh)
and is also a letter (oh).

https://www.grammar.com/a-vs-an-when-to-use

What about the "-" before the "o"?
Wouldn't it be read as "dash o" or "minus o"? This would mean "a" is
correct, not "an", IMHO.

Yeah, I was treating the leading dash as being silent...the syntax dash(es)
for single and multi-character arguments seems unimportant to read aloud in
the general sense. If one does read them then yes, "a" is correct.
Lacking any documented preference I would then just go with what is
prevalent in existing usage.

David J.

#7Michael Paquier
michael@paquier.xyz
In reply to: David G. Johnston (#6)
Re: Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

On Wed, Dec 08, 2021 at 05:47:39PM -0700, David G. Johnston wrote:

Yeah, I was treating the leading dash as being silent...the syntax dash(es)
for single and multi-character arguments seems unimportant to read aloud in
the general sense. If one does read them then yes, "a" is correct.
Lacking any documented preference I would then just go with what is
prevalent in existing usage.

Interesting, I would have thought that the dash should be silent.
Anyway, I missed that as this comes from ./configure we don't need to
change anything as this file is generated by autoconf. I have applied
the rest.
--
Michael

#8Peter Smith
smithpb2250@gmail.com
In reply to: Michael Paquier (#7)
Re: Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

On Thu, Dec 9, 2021 at 5:22 PM Michael Paquier <michael@paquier.xyz> wrote:

On Wed, Dec 08, 2021 at 05:47:39PM -0700, David G. Johnston wrote:

Yeah, I was treating the leading dash as being silent...the syntax dash(es)
for single and multi-character arguments seems unimportant to read aloud in
the general sense. If one does read them then yes, "a" is correct.
Lacking any documented preference I would then just go with what is
prevalent in existing usage.

Interesting, I would have thought that the dash should be silent.
Anyway, I missed that as this comes from ./configure we don't need to
change anything as this file is generated by autoconf. I have applied
the rest.

Thanks for pushing.

------
Kind Regards,
Peter Smith.
Fujitsu Australia