I propose a discussion on terminology, specifically terminology of the business of identifying a file of data for Everything’s search activities.
My research for, and work on, The User Tutorial has convinced me that time is wasted and discussion fuelled by trying to agree on a variety of terms that are either poorly-defined or mapped to several objects.
Everything is in the business of locating files managed by Windows. Specifically, Everything is in the business of producing Results Lists – list of files identified by their complete names.
I have developed a Backus-Naur description of the components of a string of characters that identifies a file, along with definitions of what a file is, what a folder is, what a directory is under existing Windows terminology.
I will propose that Everything abide by Windows terminology where that terminology is defined sufficient for Everything’s needs; but that where Windows terminology is ill-defined, ambiguous, or not extensive enough for Everything’s needs, that we should make our own extensions to the definition.
I have developed an example BNF table, and have written a generator (to generate file identifiers from the BNF table) and can write a BNF analyzer (a State Transition table). All these will operate on a table of BNF once we have defined that table.
The BNF is for our internal use only; it does not impact the end-user directly. The BNF allows us to develop specific terminology for what we need to communicate to the user.
Please respond with your comments on what I have written above. I have developed these thoughts and many more over the past four weeks, but if the ideas summarized above haves no merit I will drop my suggestion.
Thanks, Chris