[PATCH] manual: Fix the wording to "alternative" rather than "alternate"

[PATCH] manual: Fix the wording to "alternative" rather than "alternate"

[TAMUKI Shoichi]

ChangeLog:

	* manual/time.texi (strftime): Fix the wording to "alternative" rather
	than "alternate".
---
 manual/time.texi | 6 +++---
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/manual/time.texi b/manual/time.texi
index 9e981314876..fd7781c5317 100644
--- a/manual/time.texi
+++ b/manual/time.texi
@@ -1339,7 +1339,7 @@ POSIX.2-1992 and by @w{ISO C99}, are:
 
 @table @code
 @item E
-Use the locale's alternate representation for date and time.  This
+Use the locale's alternative representation for date and time.  This
 modifier applies to the @code{%c}, @code{%C}, @code{%x}, @code{%X},
 @code{%y} and @code{%Y} format specifiers.  In a Japanese locale, for
 example, @code{%Ex} might yield a date format based on the Japanese
@@ -1347,7 +1347,7 @@ Emperors' reigns.
 
 @item O
 With all format specifiers that produce numbers: use the locale's
-alternate numeric symbols.
+alternative numeric symbols.
 
 With @code{%B}, @code{%b}, and @code{%h}: use the grammatical form for
 month names that is appropriate when the month is named by itself,
@@ -1355,7 +1355,7 @@ rather than the form that is appropriate when the month is used as
 part of a complete date.  This is a GNU extension.
 @end table
 
-If the format supports the modifier but no alternate representation
+If the format supports the modifier but no alternative representation
 is available, it is ignored.
 
 The conversion specifier ends with a format specifier taken from the
-- 
2.12.2

Re: [PATCH] manual: Fix the wording to "alternative" rather than "alternate"

[Carlos O'Donell]

On 1/17/19 1:34 AM, TAMUKI Shoichi wrote:
> ChangeLog:
> 
> 	* manual/time.texi (strftime): Fix the wording to "alternative" rather
> 	than "alternate".

The crystal clear difference between alterate and alternative is somewhat
lost in modern English.

In the use below we see "alternate" as an adjective of the "representation"
and so can mean "taking the place of." Like "I am the alternate steward if
Joseph Myers is away."

I think the original use of alternate is correct.

> ---
>  manual/time.texi | 6 +++---
>  1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/manual/time.texi b/manual/time.texi
> index 9e981314876..fd7781c5317 100644
> --- a/manual/time.texi
> +++ b/manual/time.texi
> @@ -1339,7 +1339,7 @@ POSIX.2-1992 and by @w{ISO C99}, are:
>  
>  @table @code
>  @item E
> -Use the locale's alternate representation for date and time.  This
> +Use the locale's alternative representation for date and time.  This
>  modifier applies to the @code{%c}, @code{%C}, @code{%x}, @code{%X},
>  @code{%y} and @code{%Y} format specifiers.  In a Japanese locale, for
>  example, @code{%Ex} might yield a date format based on the Japanese
> @@ -1347,7 +1347,7 @@ Emperors' reigns.
>  
>  @item O
>  With all format specifiers that produce numbers: use the locale's
> -alternate numeric symbols.
> +alternative numeric symbols.
>  
>  With @code{%B}, @code{%b}, and @code{%h}: use the grammatical form for
>  month names that is appropriate when the month is named by itself,
> @@ -1355,7 +1355,7 @@ rather than the form that is appropriate when the month is used as
>  part of a complete date.  This is a GNU extension.
>  @end table
>  
> -If the format supports the modifier but no alternate representation
> +If the format supports the modifier but no alternative representation
>  is available, it is ignored.
>  
>  The conversion specifier ends with a format specifier taken from the
> 


-- 
Cheers,
Carlos.

Re: [PATCH] manual: Fix the wording to "alternative" rather than "alternate"

[Zack Weinberg]

On Wed, Jan 23, 2019 at 12:37 PM Carlos O'Donell <carlos@redhat.com> wrote:
> On 1/17/19 1:34 AM, TAMUKI Shoichi wrote:
> > ChangeLog:
> >
> >       * manual/time.texi (strftime): Fix the wording to "alternative" rather
> >       than "alternate".
>
> The crystal clear difference between alterate and alternative is somewhat
> lost in modern English.
>
> In the use below we see "alternate" as an adjective of the "representation"
> and so can mean "taking the place of." Like "I am the alternate steward if
> Joseph Myers is away."
>
> I think the original use of alternate is correct.

I wouldn't describe "alternate" as _wrong_ in this context, but POSIX
uses "alternative" consistently in the strftime specification, so I
think this change is desirable (and I already told Shoichi the patch
was pre-approved).

zw

Re: [PATCH] manual: Fix the wording to "alternative" rather than "alternate"

[Carlos O'Donell]

On 1/23/19 3:39 PM, Zack Weinberg wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 23, 2019 at 12:37 PM Carlos O'Donell <carlos@redhat.com> wrote:
>> On 1/17/19 1:34 AM, TAMUKI Shoichi wrote:
>>> ChangeLog:
>>>
>>>       * manual/time.texi (strftime): Fix the wording to "alternative" rather
>>>       than "alternate".
>>
>> The crystal clear difference between alterate and alternative is somewhat
>> lost in modern English.
>>
>> In the use below we see "alternate" as an adjective of the "representation"
>> and so can mean "taking the place of." Like "I am the alternate steward if
>> Joseph Myers is away."
>>
>> I think the original use of alternate is correct.
> 
> I wouldn't describe "alternate" as _wrong_ in this context, but POSIX
> uses "alternative" consistently in the strftime specification, so I
> think this change is desirable (and I already told Shoichi the patch
> was pre-approved).

That sounds like a perfectly good reason to accept the patch, and I see
it was committed the next day on 2019-01-19.

I am *always* happy to see people thinking about and looking at the
manual. I was worried that Shoichi had not gotten any feedback (and
I hadn't noticed the patch had gone in already).

I would suggest Reviewed-by: lines in posts to libc-alpha that have
real review by someone else. If I'd known you'd reviewed this I would
have just moved on to another patch.  I'm not grumpy, just trying to
be efficient. As it was today the patch looked unreviewed.

-- 
Cheers,
Carlos.