[albatross-users] Renaming application and execution context classes

[Eric S. Johansson]

Dave Cole wrote:

> A long time ago Cameron Blackwood posted to this list complaining
> (quite rightly) that the application and execution context classes
> were badly named.  He made some suggestions here.
> 
>     http://www.object-craft.com.au/pipermail/albatross-users/2002-November/000166.html
> 
> I agree that the current class names could be improved but I cannot
> seem to come up with anything really good.  Below is a table of the
> current packaged classes and a new name suggestion.
> 
> If we do perform a rename the existing names will remain as aliases to
> the renamed classes.
> 
> Can anyone think of a better naming scheme?
> 
> What are peoples' feelings about a rename?

given that I'm just started to get my mind around the albatross way, I'm not 
sure I'm the best person to listen to but here is my two cents worth.

Change should improve the ability for the newbie to comprehend and the expert to 
reference/identify.  It strikes me that the proposed class namings do neither.

To me, simple context is far more descriptive of what the class does than 
template context.  This is more apparent when you contrast simple application 
versus client session page object application.

On a personal note, I find StudleyCaps quite disturbing.  In 1994 after being a 
programmer for 18 years, my hands gave out on me and I am now mostly dependent 
on speech recognition for most computer operations.  it's mostly noticeable when 
I don't pay full attention to this recognition errors and don't fix the wrong or 
missing words.

Names such as TemplateCtx need to be spelled out as cap template no space cap 
letter charlie tango x-ray every time it is used.  names like cap client no 
space cap letters Sierra echo Sierra Sierra no space cap page letter cap Oscar 
bravo Juliet no space alpha papa papa leave me feeling somewhat despondent.

If I add words like the below to my vocabulary, it degrades my overall 
recognition for ordinary English.  I'm currently working on a technique to 
partition the naming problem so I can improve recognition but dynamically add 
coding names but it's slow going.  Eventually, I'll need to figure out how to 
make Emacs gave me feedback on what class/method is currently active so I can 
construct the right vocabulary for names but that's a different conversation.

again, this is a long-winded way of saying that ordinary_words 
separated_by_the_underscore_character is preferable to me and that I subscribe 
to the school of using active words when naming classes and methods.  For example:

SimpleContext maybe would be better described as:

create_simple_albatross_environment

because that is what it does.  It creates an environment in which you can define 
variable elements which fill in variables in a template, retrieve field values 
from a template, etc.  It doesn't create a template (that's defined in the 
load_template method).  it is arguable whether or not what it returns can be 
considered a context or an object.  In either case, it creates something not is 
something

as for the other names, personally, I find names like ClientSessPageModApp and 
FileSessByURLPageModApp more obscuring than illuminating.

---eric