Vocabulary matter: Component vs Element vs Item

["Yannick Duchêne (Hibou57)" <yannick_duchene@yahoo.fr>]

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?


-- 
“Syntactic sugar causes cancer of the semi-colons.” [1]
“Structured Programming supports the law of the excluded muddle.” [1]
[1]: Epigrams on Programming — Alan J. — P. Yale University