Обсуждение: Fix typos - "an" instead of "a"

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

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

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
bothsounds 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

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

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

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