Case-sensitivity: why -- or why not? (was Re: Damnation!)

[Ben Cornett]

On Mon, May 22, 2000 at 06:35:52PM -0400, python-list-admin at python.org wrote:
> 
> this IS An exAmple oF WHat I meaNt WHEn I SAid "vOtIng DoesN'T HElP".
> 
> yoU'Re sAyING IT'S UnACcePtABlE -- A vOte.  but YoU doN't sAy *WHy*
> yoU vOtE thAt waY, so YOUr VOTE geTS mULtIplIED By zERO (RAtheR THan
> bY tHE SIze of yOUR DePaRTment Or tHe CApITAL OF YOUR bANK, AS YOu
> SeEm tO HOPe By brINgiNG THEM iNto ThE ARgumENT :-).
> 
> hERE'S A waY To MAKe YOuR votE cOuNt: ExPLAIn wHat It is abOUT CASE
> sENsitiVE lANGUAGES ThAt YOu HaTE.  then wE caN HAVe A diScUssION
> abOUt It.
> 
> i aM a veRY caSE-sEnSitIVE PERsoN MYSElf: IT bOThErS Me whEN pEoPLE
> DON't starT thEiR SENtEnCES witH CapITAL LeTters OR WheN THEy reFER To
> themsElVes As "I" iN lOwErcASE -- oR WHen pEOpLe REFer To pyThOn aS
> "PythON" OR "PyTHOn".  (COme tO thINK Of It, it bOtheREd ME WheN yOU
> Wrote "gERMAN" InsteAd Of "gErMAN" :-).
> 
> YEt, here aRe SOme of the ReAsoNs WHy I AM conSIdeRInG MaKIng pYTHoN
> cASe-insENsiTivE:
> 
> (1) RAnDY PAUsCH, a pRofESsor AT cMU, FOUnD, WheN TeacHIng PythON TO
> NON-cs STUDENtS iN the cONTExT of alIce (wWW.aliCe.org), tHAt tHE
> number ONE pROBLeM hIs STudentS WERe HavinG WAS to rEmEMBER thaT CASe
> mAttErs in PYthoN.  (ThE nUMBER TWO pRoblEM waS 1/2 == 0; ThERE wAS no
> SiGNIFICalT nUMBER ThREE prOBLEm.)
> 
> (2) i'VE MET Many PEoplE wHO ARE EXpErieNCED aND AcComPLishED PyThON
> progRaMmERS But WhO StILl, WHEN ReFerRiNG tO pytHoN mODulEs Or
> FunctIoNS In AN iNFOrmaL ConteXT (e.G. EMAil), make up thEIr OWN cASe
> CoNVENtIOnS.  e.g. PeopLE WilL wrITe Me AbOut ThE sTRING MoDuLE OR
> ABouT FTplIB.
> 
> I AlSo kNOw SoMe OF the THInGS i pLan TO DO tO mAke The TRansitION
> PaInleSS anD to MAkE ThE USUAL PrObleMS With CAse INsEnSItIVITy mOrE
> palATABle.  e.g. I MaY add A CAsE iNseNSiTiviTy FeatURE TO iDLe WHIch
> makES sURE tHAT All IDEnTifIers ARe WriTtEn In A consIStenT caSe, i
> may aDd fLAgS to PRE-py3k pYthon InterpReTeRS to tuRN oN CAse
> INSensiTIvITY oR Case sensiTiVIty OR A SpecIaL Warning mode.
> 
> -- 
> --GUIDO van rOSsum (hoME PaGe: HTTp://wWw.PythOn.oRg/~GuidO/)
> -- 
> HttP://www.PYthOn.ORG/MaiLman/LIStiNfO/pYthoN-LISt
> 
> 
> I know I am being ridiculous.
> 
> However, I am having trouble imagining how removing case-sensitivity from the language could improve usablility for 
> any programmer, regardless of his/her skill level.  Most people seem to have no particular trouble with case-sensitivity in 
> natural languages; why should a computer language be any different?  On the other hand, maybe I am just too ingrained in my old
> thought patterns. 
> 
> Best,
> 
> Ben
> 
> 
> -- 
> http://www.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


You have been warned.  No more silliness!  Now let's have something military.
(Or at least something completely different.)