Re: ICU library naming scheme modification proposal

>> ...  What I would like to accomplish at the same time is a bit
>> more common of a naming scheme across platforms.
>> ...
>> Next would be a two character ID to identify the particular ICU library.
>> ...

I see no merit in obuscating the purpose of the libraries behind concise
but opaque (or at least obscure) abbreviations. It seems to me the
proposal moves the wrong way: Instead, I think Windows names should
mutate to mimic the currently more readable Unix naming scheme... If any
renaming at all is really useful. Given three choices, I'd order them from
best to worst as:

  1: No change is needed
  2: Make windows names longer and more readable
  3: Make unix names shorter and less readable

Though really, I think the names matter very little.

-- frank griswold

>> Subject: ICU library naming scheme modification proposal
>> To: [email protected]
>> From: Barry Novinger <[email protected]>
>> Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 11:42:15 -0600
>> 
>> I'd like to get some feedback from the ICU community regarding a naming
>> scheme change proposal.
>> 
>> I am attempting to add versioning to the ICU libraries, that is the .so and
>> service program names as they appear in the root and qsys file systems on
>> the iSeries.  What I would like to accomplish at the same time is a bit
>> more common of a naming scheme across platforms.
>> 
>> Currently the naming on Windows is:
>> 
>> ctestfw.dll, icudt28.dll, icuin28.dll, icuio28.dll, icule28.dll,
>> iculx28.dll, icutu28.dll, and icuuc28.dll .
>> 
>> On Unix-like platforms the naming is as follows with various extensions
>> which are not pertinent so I have excluded the variations.  I don't have a
>> Unix build in front of me but believe this to be accurate.
>> 
>> libicuctestfw28, libicudata28, libicui18n28, libicuio28, libicule28,
>> libiculx28, libicutoolutil28, and libicuuc28 .
>> 
>> 
>> I am proposing the following:
>> 
>>    Obviously for unix-like platforms maintain the "lib" prefix.
>>    This would be followed by "icu".
>>    Next would be a two character ID to identify the particular ICU library.
>> 
>>    Four of the eight already only use two characters for all platforms:
>>    io, le, lx and uc  .
>>    The remaining four would be shortened also as follows ...
>> 
>>    ctestfw -> ct
>>    data     -> dt
>>    i18n      -> in
>>    toolutil -> tu
>> 
>>    This would follow the current windows naming scheme for those three that
>>    currently have two character naming.
>> 
>> 4.    Finally, this would be followed by the ICU major version number for
>> two characters: 28, 30, etc.
>> 
>> Please feed back your comments by March 30th.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Barry Novinger