Proposed change to "Target" term in base ui_msg's
Proposal: Changing the ui_msgs in porttrace.tcl and portutil.tcl. from: "Target $target returned/has a blah blah" to "MacPorts Installation Phase $target returned/has a ...." or just "Installation Phase $target returned/has a ....." Reasoning: I think the term "target" in MacPorts user-level communication is ambiguous and confusing. It invites the question, "Target of what?" At the level of user-level messages at least, it seems "target" is more or less synonymous with "phase", since "target phase" or just "phase" seems to communicate the same thing more clearly. But "phase" alone seems inadequate because that term invites the question "What type of phase?" so I'd prefer the term "install phase", assuming that it is ok to call all the MP phases generically "install phases", even though technically install is a phase itself. But that seems much better than the way the old guide speaks of "build targets" generically, because it seems more natural to call the MP phases "install phases" because "building" has a more specific meaning and makes "build phases" seem innaccurate (or at least confusing) as a term for MP phases. What do you all think about this? I want to harmonize the error messages with the new guide and I've already expunged the term "target" for the reasons stated above. Here are the ui_msgs as they are now. --------------- port1.0/porttrace.tcl: ui_warn "Target $target has an undeclared dependency on $port" port1.0/porttrace.tcl: ui_debug "Target $target has no traceable dependency on $port" port1.0/portutil.tcl: ui_error "Target $name returned: $errstr" port1.0/portutil.tcl: ui_debug "$ident registered provides '$target', a pre-existing procedure. Target override will not be provided" --------------- Mark
I say go with either "Installation Phase $target returned/has a ..." or "Operation $target returned/has a ..." I think that "Operation..." has the advantage of not possibly be construed as referring to a phase, target, or instruction on the command line. On 14 Sep 2007, at 12:17, markd@macports.org wrote:
Proposal:
Changing the ui_msgs in porttrace.tcl and portutil.tcl. from:
"Target $target returned/has a blah blah" to "MacPorts Installation Phase $target returned/has a ...." or just "Installation Phase $target returned/has a ....."
Reasoning:
I think the term "target" in MacPorts user-level communication is ambiguous and confusing. It invites the question, "Target of what?" At the level of user-level messages at least, it seems "target" is more or less synonymous with "phase", since "target phase" or just "phase" seems to communicate the same thing more clearly.
But "phase" alone seems inadequate because that term invites the question "What type of phase?" so I'd prefer the term "install phase", assuming that it is ok to call all the MP phases generically "install phases", even though technically install is a phase itself. But that seems much better than the way the old guide speaks of "build targets" generically, because it seems more natural to call the MP phases "install phases" because "building" has a more specific meaning and makes "build phases" seem innaccurate (or at least confusing) as a term for MP phases.
What do you all think about this? I want to harmonize the error messages with the new guide and I've already expunged the term "target" for the reasons stated above.
Here are the ui_msgs as they are now.
--------------- port1.0/porttrace.tcl: ui_warn "Target $target has an undeclared dependency on $port" port1.0/porttrace.tcl: ui_debug "Target $target has no traceable dependency on $port"
port1.0/portutil.tcl: ui_error "Target $name returned: $errstr" port1.0/portutil.tcl: ui_debug "$ident registered provides '$target', a pre-existing procedure. Target override will not be provided" ---------------
Mark
_______________________________________________ macports-dev mailing list macports-dev@lists.macosforge.org http://lists.macosforge.org/mailman/listinfo/macports-dev
Randall Wood rhwood@mac.com http://shyramblings.blogspot.com "The rules are simple: The ball is round. The game lasts 90 minutes. All the rest is just philosophy."
Randall Wood <rhwood@mac.com> writes:
I say go with either "Installation Phase $target returned/has a ..." or "Operation $target returned/has a ..."
I think that "Operation..." has the advantage of not possibly be construed as referring to a phase, target, or instruction on the command line.
I hadn't considered "operation"; I like the reasoning. Thanks for the feedback. Mark
participants (2)
-
markd＠macports.org
-
Randall Wood