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Groups > comp.lang.c > #111177
| From | Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> |
|---|---|
| Newsgroups | comp.lang.c |
| Subject | Re: C Macros Badly Defined? |
| Date | 2017-06-01 17:26 -0700 |
| Organization | None to speak of |
| Message-ID | <lnvaofnskl.fsf@kst-u.example.com> (permalink) |
| References | (11 earlier) <f4bbbd30-c58c-46f7-804a-e9938dea58bb@googlegroups.com> <kfno9u8c6gj.fsf@x-alumni2.alumni.caltech.edu> <94e7a42a-8f7a-4823-9883-4b8ae5988572@googlegroups.com> <lnbmq7pm7e.fsf@kst-u.example.com> <6a009fc9-0017-496c-87a4-6e8721417c10@googlegroups.com> |
David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> writes:
> On Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 12:00:46 PM UTC-7, Keith Thompson wrote:
>> David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> writes:
>> > On Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 4:07:00 AM UTC-7, Tim Rentsch wrote:
>> >> David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> writes:
>> >>
>> >> > [..use of "shall" in the Standard..]
>> >> >
>> >> > There isn't any problem connected with what "shall" is being
>> >> > used to say. But it isn't being used in its ordinary English
>> >> > way. [...]
>> >>
>> >> This assertion is in conflict with all of the ordinary English
>> >> dictionaries I consulted.
>> >
>> > Dictionaries are not a good guide to current usage. "Shall" is
>> > essentially obsolete in modern English. The modern English
>> > modal to use would have been "must".
>>
>> I disagree that "shall" is obsolete. Shall I provide examples?
>>
>> In any case, the use of "shall" in this sense is quite common in
>> standards, particularly ISO standards.
>>
>> And if it were obsolete, that would be an argument in favor of using it,
>> since the standard can define what it means in that context with less
>> risk of conflicting with common usage.
>>
>> You just need to understand how the standard uses the word, and that's
>> something you only have to do once. After that, it shoulnd't be a
>> problem.
>
> I suspect you didn't read the full context.
In fact I did.
> The subject was the
> writing style in the standard. I was commenting that I thought it
> was quite good and that my biggest bitch was with the un-English
> use of "shall".
I understood your point, and I disagree with it. It's a perfectly
ordinary English word, not obsolete at all, and the standard uses it in
a semi-formal sense that it clearly defines for itself.
> If that's my biggest bitch I am quite happy with
> what I see. I imagined people would see my bitch as a trivial
> complaint.
Yes.
> As to the current status of "shall" in English see any modern
> LINGUISTIC book on English Grammar.
Did you notice my question, above, "Shall I provide examples?" Did you
find my use of the word "Shall" in that sentence odd? I didn't.
--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Working, but not speaking, for JetHead Development, Inc.
"We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this."
-- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"
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Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2017-05-24 08:16 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-05-24 10:43 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2017-05-24 19:06 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2017-05-27 06:10 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-05-27 12:02 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-05-27 13:42 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-05-27 15:48 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-05-28 14:40 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2017-05-29 08:33 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2017-05-29 08:17 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? bartc <bc@freeuk.com> - 2017-05-29 16:26 +0100
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2017-05-30 06:13 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2017-05-30 09:57 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-05-30 19:12 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-05-30 14:55 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-05-30 15:39 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-05-30 16:03 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-05-30 16:50 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-05-30 17:12 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-05-31 06:30 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-05-31 09:36 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-05-31 12:08 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2017-05-31 19:16 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-05-31 12:35 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2017-06-01 04:06 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 10:33 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-06-01 12:00 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 15:35 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-06-01 17:26 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 20:48 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-05-31 12:43 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Kleinecke <dkleinecke@gmail.com> - 2017-05-31 21:50 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2017-06-03 11:36 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2017-06-03 11:44 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-06-03 09:19 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2017-06-03 16:22 +0000
Re: Standards in various formats Noob <root@127.0.0.1> - 2017-06-01 13:24 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? jadill33@gmail.com - 2017-05-31 13:02 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2017-05-30 22:06 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-31 12:51 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-05-31 06:21 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-31 17:16 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-05-31 17:24 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? "Pascal J. Bourguignon" <pjb@informatimago.com> - 2017-05-31 22:18 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-05-31 23:09 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2017-05-31 17:32 -0400
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-05-31 23:50 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2017-05-31 18:01 -0400
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 00:33 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2017-05-31 22:36 -0400
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 06:08 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2017-06-01 11:08 -0400
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 01:30 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 11:38 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 03:13 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 12:25 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 04:48 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 14:27 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 05:55 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2017-06-01 11:11 -0400
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 17:40 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2017-06-02 08:32 +1200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? GOTHIER Nathan <nathan.gothier@gmail.com> - 2017-06-01 23:14 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? jameskuyper@verizon.net - 2017-06-01 14:41 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2017-06-02 09:48 +1200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-02 00:56 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2017-06-02 11:12 +1200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2017-06-03 11:54 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Leon Taylor <leontaylor476@gmail.com> - 2017-06-03 05:10 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-04 14:32 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Melzzzzz <Melzzzzz@zzzzz.com> - 2017-06-01 21:44 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2017-06-03 11:51 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2017-06-01 21:38 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2017-06-02 11:10 +1200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2017-06-01 23:34 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2017-06-03 11:48 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-06-01 08:56 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-02 14:11 +0200
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-06-02 10:02 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2017-06-03 11:45 +0000
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-05-31 09:11 -0700
Re: C Macros Badly Defined? raltbos@xs4all.nl (Richard Bos) - 2017-06-03 11:29 +0000
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