Making a case for cases

["Steiner, Mathias" <steiner@nscl.msu.edu>]

Learned Friends,

 

The planned Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a.k.a. FRIB, is looking to finalize the naming convention.

 

The proposed system is an evolution of the SNS convention.  I'll list the format to give an idea of how many uninterrupted characters one might encounter:

 

        SSSS_BBBB:DDDD_QIIII:TTTTIIIIXXXX

 System_subsystem:Devic_Qualifier:Signal Name

 

 

One of the remaining questions concerns letter case.

 

 

Option 1:  Uppercase only.

 

It's simple; it's unambiguous; it's what we do now.

On the downside, it is hard to read.

 

 

Option 2:  Lowercase only.

 

It's as simple as uppercase, but easier to read.

 

 

Option 3:  Mixed case.

 

This is best option for legibility.

But it creates ambiguities and can make searching difficult.

 

 

Is there something like a community consensus on this?

Are there any pitfalls we should be aware of?

 

 

Thanks in advance,

           -Mathias

 

 

 

Mathias Steiner

Staff Physicist

NSCL/Michigan State Cyclotron

East Lansing, MI

voice 517-908-7423