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From: Manuel Collado <m.collado@domain.invalid>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Vocabulary matter: Component vs Element vs Item
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 11:56:10 +0200
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Date: 2013-07-26T11:56:10+02:00
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El 25/07/2013 18:38, Yannick Duchêne (Hibou57) escribió:
> This is a vocabulary question, with consistency in mind when giving names
> to things.
>
> All three words “component”, “element” and “item” could be seen as
> interchangeable in plain English (or am I wrong?).
>
> In the Ada literature, seems “component” is most used in “record component”
> (sometime, less commonly “record element”), and far less for indexed or
> linked structures.
>
> The words “element” and “item” are both used in the RM's standard
> containers. Unfortunately with no consistency, as it is often mixed. Ex.
> the indefinite holders says both “element” and “item”, at the same place.
> Ex. “Replace_Element” holds a “New_Item” argument of type “Element_Type”.
>
> Outside of Ada, “item” is widely known in DOM, for elements lists. What it
> holds is often referred to as “element”, while the access to the n‑th
> element is provided by a function named “item”… mixed again. Or may be this
> suggest to say “item” for arguments and “element” for individual instances
> (and so may be for the type too)?
>
> Which to use in which case? Or may be prior any attempt to answer this, is
> there at least any kind of consistency with the use of these words (except
> “component”, which is less common)?
>
> Or a more easy one: how do you read these words?

My personal opinion is:

- "Element" is a general term. More or less a synonym for "thing".
- "Component" is a member of a collection. Specially of a collection of 
heterogeneous elements (records).
- "Item" is also a member of a collection. Specially of a collection of 
similar elements (lists).

-- 
Manuel Collado - http://lml.ls.fi.upm.es/~mcollado