Explanation of "Case-sensitive"

[The Cybermat Rider]

In article <175100004 at hobbiton> fieland at hobbiton.prime.com writes:
>
>I think that the reason C is case-sensitive is that UNIX is case-sensitive,
>and C was used to write the UNIX kernel. 

Eh?  In that case, I'd draw the conclusion that UNIX is case-sensitive
BECAUSE C is case-sensitive, not the other way around!

Anyway, I think C should be case-sensitive -- it's my personal philosophy
that one's options should always be kept open.  8-)

Seriously though, if I choose to use several identifiers in a single program
that differ only in casing, I'm making the implicit assumption that I KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT I'M DOING.  To make things simpler, I use only two casing
styles:  ALL UPPERCASE (for #define's and typedef's), and all lowercase
(everything else).

If I feel that I might screw up my capitalization somewhere down the line,
or if I can't formulate a SIMPLE (note emphasis) system that I can stick to,
I simply SAY NO TO MIXING CASES!

Those who decry C's case-sensitivity should consider this: If you can't bear
to mix cases in your code, just leave everything in lower case (unless
necessary) -- it's easier to read than CAPS, and you don't really need to
CAPITALIZE keywords to understand C code, do you?  If you're trying to read
someone else's code, you'll probably find that CAPS were used in a simple,
logical fashion (in which case you shouldn't have any trouble adapting
unconsciously to his/her system), or they weren't, in which case even the
author would probably be unable to read it after a month.

So why continue this debate?  Case sensitivity is an OPTION -- you don't
have to rely on it if you don't want to.....

I shall now descend from my soapbox and slip into my abestos suit.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adrian Ho a.k.a. The Cybermat Rider	  University of California, Berkeley
laba-4he at web.berkeley.edu		(WEB Evans, Home of The CS Freakies)
Disclaimer:  Nobody takes me seriously, so is it really necessary?