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From: =?utf-8?Q?Yannick_Duch=C3=AAne_=28Hibou57?=
 =?utf-8?Q?=29?=
 <yannick_duchene@yahoo.fr>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Vocabulary matter: Component vs Element vs Item
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 18:38:47 +0200
Organization: Ada @ Home
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Date: 2013-07-25T18:38:47+02:00
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This is a vocabulary question, with consistency in mind when giving name=
s  =

to things.

All three words =E2=80=9Ccomponent=E2=80=9D, =E2=80=9Celement=E2=80=9D a=
nd =E2=80=9Citem=E2=80=9D could be seen as  =

interchangeable in plain English (or am I wrong?).

In the Ada literature, seems =E2=80=9Ccomponent=E2=80=9D is most used in=
 =E2=80=9Crecord  =

component=E2=80=9D (sometime, less commonly =E2=80=9Crecord element=E2=80=
=9D), and far less for  =

indexed or linked structures.

The words =E2=80=9Celement=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Citem=E2=80=9D are both =
used in the RM's standard  =

containers. Unfortunately with no consistency, as it is often mixed. Ex.=
  =

the indefinite holders says both =E2=80=9Celement=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9C=
item=E2=80=9D, at the same place.  =

Ex. =E2=80=9CReplace_Element=E2=80=9D holds a =E2=80=9CNew_Item=E2=80=9D=
 argument of type =E2=80=9CElement_Type=E2=80=9D.

Outside of Ada, =E2=80=9Citem=E2=80=9D is widely known in DOM, for eleme=
nts lists. What it  =

holds is often referred to as =E2=80=9Celement=E2=80=9D, while the acces=
s to the n=E2=80=91th  =

element is provided by a function named =E2=80=9Citem=E2=80=9D=E2=80=A6 =
mixed again. Or may be  =

this suggest to say =E2=80=9Citem=E2=80=9D for arguments and =E2=80=9Cel=
ement=E2=80=9D 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 (exce=
pt  =

=E2=80=9Ccomponent=E2=80=9D, which is less common)?

Or a more easy one: how do you read these words?


-- =

=E2=80=9CSyntactic sugar causes cancer of the semi-colons.=E2=80=9D [1]
=E2=80=9CStructured Programming supports the law of the excluded muddle.=
=E2=80=9D [1]
[1]: Epigrams on Programming =E2=80=94 Alan J. =E2=80=94 P. Yale Univers=
ity