Re: historysize

[Daniel J S. <dan...@ie...>]

Theo Hopman wrote:
> Ga=EBl Varoquaux wrote:
>=20
>> On Tue, Aug 16, 2005 at 12:31:18AM -0500, Daniel J Sebald wrote:
>>
>>> The data file "using" format is like this; 0 means point, -1 means=20
>>> line number, -2 means index number.  I find that not user friendly.
>>
>>
>>     Agreed. I prefer words. And I have often heard users of gnuplot
>> complain about such numbers that they cannot remember.
>=20
>=20
> I've no opinion on the merits of a keyword or number in setting the=20
> history size, since it seems to me that this is something that's set=20
> once (in .gnuplot or equivalent) and then forgotten.

But isn't that an argument for having a sensical keyword?  Once in a blue=
 moon the user has to set this and thinks "Hmm, I want this to be unlimit=
ed, what do I have to enter to make the history size _unlimited_?"  My po=
int is that a natural keyword is easier to understand.

> For more frequently=20
> used options (especially `using`) numbers are a good thing IMO, for the=
=20
> following reasons:
> - I personally forget keywords more easily than numbers
> - numbers are generally shorter than keywords =3D less typing

In the case of 'using':

0   or  p$oint
-1  or  l$ine
-2  or  i$ndex

'l' and 'i' are less typing than '-1' and '-2'.  AND, I'd bet on average =
that people's skill at type 'p', 'l', and 'i' are much better than type 0=
, -1, -2.

> - variables can be used in place of numbers

[Hans' point]

> Now imagine somebody who just happens to have an old gnuplot script
> that defines all of the above variables equals to 5.  Or to 1/0, for th=
at
> matter, or 1.0e300.

My first question is Why are you defining "unlimited" to mean 5?  Second =
question is how popular is the redefining of keywords?  I've not made muc=
h use of defining stuff in gnuplot...  By that thinking, gnuplot is forev=
er stuck with the current syntax and cannot add any more keywords, hence =
no new features, because someone may have defined any given keyword in th=
e past equal to 1234567.

> - numbers are the same across all languages

So people should learn just a subset of the keywords like 'using', 'with'=
, 'format' but not be expected to know 'point', 'line', 'index', 'unlimit=
ed', 'infinity'?

Dan