Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1753277AbXLUKKt (ORCPT ); Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:10:49 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1750718AbXLUKKk (ORCPT ); Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:10:40 -0500 Received: from sovereign.computergmbh.de ([85.214.69.204]:59681 "EHLO sovereign.computergmbh.de" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1750707AbXLUKKk (ORCPT ); Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:10:40 -0500 Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:10:38 +0100 (CET) From: Jan Engelhardt To: Herbert Xu cc: Alan Cox , joe@perches.com, davem@davemloft.net, apw@shadowen.org, lizf@cn.fujitsu.com, akpm@linux-foundation.org, elendil@planet.nl, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, tglx@linutronix.de, trivial@kernel.org, rdunlap@xenotime.net, jschopp@austin.ibm.com Subject: Re: Trailing periods in kernel messages In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1597 Lines: 47 On Dec 21 2007 17:56, Herbert Xu wrote: >> >> I do not believe "opinions" are relevant here. Relevant would be cites >> from respected style guides (Fowlers, Oxford Guide To Style et al.) to >> show they do not need a full stop. >> >> I've not found one, but I am open to references. > >Well from where I come from, full stops are only used for complete >sentences. >[...] >As to what is a complete sentence, that is debatable. However, >typically it would include a subject and a predicate. By this >rule the following line is not a complete sentence: > > [XFS] Initialise current offset in xfs_file_readdir correctly > >The reason is that it lacks a subject. "current offset" is your subject. But I would tend to agree to "(most) kernel messages are not sentences." Actually, I see it a bit different: (most) kernel messages are more like an itemized list of what has been done/is going to be done. A *list*! * water * flour * salt * yeast or baking powder * dough (obviously) (I'm a programmer, not a cook.) Would you really add a fullstop? >Of course I would completely agree that some kernel messages >are complete sentences and should have a full stop. +1. Those kernel messages which clearly have two or more sentences obviously have sentences. ("If a device doesn't work, try "pci=routeirq".) Can we get back to programming? -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/