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People usually feel very passionately about matters such as this one.
I have not seen any official pronouncement on it:

Do you prefer singular or plural names for:
1. arrays
2. collections
3. directories

In other words do you prefer goats[i] or goat[i], HashSet goats or
HashSet goat, the C:\goats directory or the C:\goat directory.

By the way, what brought this on was the discovery that I can't have
an icons directory on my website since Apache reserves that name for
its own purposes. I had to rename to the icon directory.


for ( goat : goats ) is an argument for plural names.
--
Canadian Mind Products, Roedy Green.
http://mindprod.com Again taking new Java programming contracts.

On Sat, 03 Sep 2005 08:44:00 GMT, Roedy Green wrote:

> In other words do you prefer goats[i] or goat[i], HashSet goats or
> HashSet goat, the C:\goats directory or the C:\goat directory.

I prefer ..

// slightly tongue in cheek..
HashSet goatHerd;

--
Andrew Thompson
physci.org 1point1c.org javasaver.com lensescapes.com athompson.info
"Your eyes, no surprise, are open wide.."
Divinyls 'Good Die Young'

"Roedy Green" <look-> wrote in message
news:...
> People usually feel very passionately about matters such as this one.
> I have not seen any official pronouncement on it:
>
> Do you prefer singular or plural names for:
> 1. arrays
> 2. collections
> 3. directories
>
> In other words do you prefer goats[i] or goat[i], HashSet goats or
> HashSet goat, the C:\goats directory or the C:\goat directory.

I, for one, stick to this:

Goat[] goat = ...;
Collection goats = ...;

Because
goat[x].getParent();
feels like: "goat X -> get parent", and
goats.get(x).getParent();
feels like: "out of all goats, pick X -> get parent"

goats[x] feels very unnatural IMHO.

Besides that, whenever it's "goats", I know it's a collection
(list,map,set).

>
> By the way, what brought this on was the discovery that I can't have
> an icons directory on my website since Apache reserves that name for
> its own purposes. I had to rename to the icon directory.
>
>
> for ( goat : goats ) is an argument for plural names.
> --
> Canadian Mind Products, Roedy Green.
> http://mindprod.com Again taking new Java programming contracts.

> goats[x] feels very unnatural IMHO.

It will never cease to amaze me how any two intelligent people can use
rational thought to arrive at completely opposite conclusions.

goats[x] feels the only right choice to me, with goat[x] being the approach
I cringe at. Whether it's a primitive array or a Collection, the two are
logically equivalent, so the use of plural applies to both.

"jan V" <> wrote in message
news:OKdSe.184918$...
> > goats[x] feels very unnatural IMHO.
>
> It will never cease to amaze me how any two intelligent people can use
> rational thought to arrive at completely opposite conclusions.
>
> goats[x] feels the only right choice to me, with goat[x] being the
approach
> I cringe at. Whether it's a primitive array or a Collection, the two are
> logically equivalent, so the use of plural applies to both.

for(int i=0; i<n; i++)
{
// A
goats[i] = new Goat();
// pronounce "goats at i = new goat"

// B
goat[i] = new Goat();
// pronounce "goat at i = new goat"

// C
goats.set(i, new Goat());
// pronounce "set new goat at i, in goats"
}

That would be my "rational thought", which I realize from another POV is
easily breakable. Matter of taste I think.

Skip wrote:
> "jan V" <> wrote in message
> news:OKdSe.184918$...
>
>>>goats[x] feels very unnatural IMHO.
>>
>>It will never cease to amaze me how any two intelligent people can use
>>rational thought to arrive at completely opposite conclusions.
>>
>>goats[x] feels the only right choice to me, with goat[x] being the
>
> approach
>
>>I cringe at. Whether it's a primitive array or a Collection, the two are
>>logically equivalent, so the use of plural applies to both.
>
>
> for(int i=0; i<n; i++)
> {
> // A
> goats[i] = new Goat();

Ok were dealing with an array of goats

> // pronounce "goats at i = new goat"
>
> // B
> goat[i] = new Goat();

Ok were dealing with a array that represents a goat.

> // pronounce "goat at i = new goat"
>


What if i want to represent a goat with an array?
Then you have a problem.

For example

Object[] goat={
new GoatSound(),
new GoatTeeth()
}


??

So use the plural form to be sure your dealing with an array of goats.

"Tjerk Wolterink" <> wrote in message
news:dfbsen$841$...
> Skip wrote:
> > "jan V" <> wrote in message
> > news:OKdSe.184918$...
> >
> >>>goats[x] feels very unnatural IMHO.
> >>
> >>It will never cease to amaze me how any two intelligent people can use
> >>rational thought to arrive at completely opposite conclusions.
> >>
> >>goats[x] feels the only right choice to me, with goat[x] being the
> >
> > approach
> >
> >>I cringe at. Whether it's a primitive array or a Collection, the two are
> >>logically equivalent, so the use of plural applies to both.
> >
> >
> > for(int i=0; i<n; i++)
> > {
> > // A
> > goats[i] = new Goat();
>
> Ok were dealing with an array of goats
>
> > // pronounce "goats at i = new goat"
> >
> > // B
> > goat[i] = new Goat();
>
> Ok were dealing with a array that represents a goat.
>
> > // pronounce "goat at i = new goat"
> >
>
>
> What if i want to represent a goat with an array?
> Then you have a problem.
>
> For example
>
> Object[] goat={
> new GoatSound(),
> new GoatTeeth()
> }
>
>
> ??
>
> So use the plural form to be sure your dealing with an array of goats.

While I see your point, I think representing a goat with an array is poor
design.

Roedy Green wrote:
> People usually feel very passionately about matters such as this one.
> I have not seen any official pronouncement on it:
>
> Do you prefer singular or plural names for:
> 1. arrays
> 2. collections
> 3. directories

Plural. Sets are potentially obscure enough to have a "Set" suffix.
"Map" suffix for a map.

Singular for SQL tables and packages. With SQL you are refer to tables
when in fact you are just after individual rows (if you see what I
mean). java[x].* packages are inconsistently names, but you don't give
class plural names, in general.

Tom Hawtin
--
Unemployed English Java programmer
http://jroller.com/page/tackline/

Roedy Green wrote:
> People usually feel very passionately about matters such as this one.
> I have not seen any official pronouncement on it:
>
> Do you prefer singular or plural names for:
> 1. arrays
> 2. collections
> 3. directories
>
> In other words do you prefer goats[i] or goat[i], HashSet goats or
> HashSet goat, the C:\goats directory or the C:\goat directory.

I personally like plural form. I have even come across the goatS style,
with capital S.

I have a follow-up question. If you do prefer the plural form, what do
pluralize nouns that have irregular plural forms in English? wolfs or
wolves? geese or gooses? deers or deer?

On 3 Sep 2005 03:51:12 -0700, Hemal Pandya wrote:
> Roedy Green wrote:
...
>> In other words do you prefer goats[i] or goat[i], HashSet goats or
>> HashSet goat, the C:\goats directory or the C:\goat directory.
...
> I have a follow-up question. If you do prefer the plural form, what do
> pluralize nouns that have irregular plural forms in English? wolfs or
> wolves?

pack.

>..geese or gooses?

flock.

>..deers or deer?

herd.



--
Andrew Thompson
physci.org 1point1c.org javasaver.com lensescapes.com athompson.info
"Tell 'em a hooka smokin' caterpillar, has given you the call.."
Jefferson Airplane 'White Rabbit'