Re: Word-a-Day: cancel, stop



On Wed, 2008-08-06 at 14:28 -0500, Shaun McCance wrote:
> ============================================================
> cancel
> End an operation without leaving any side effects.  Only use
> "cancel" if the operation can be ended cleanly, leaving the
> system in the same state as before the operation was started.
> Use "stop" instead if ending the operation will result in
> partial effects of the operation remaining.
> ============================================================
> stop
> End an operation leaving some side effects.  Use stop if the
> operation cannot be ended cleanly, or if ending the operation
> will leave it partially completed.  Use "cancel" instead if
> the operation can be ended cleanly with no side effects.
> ============================================================
> 
> We don't currently have recommendations for these in the
> Style Guide, but this jives with the HIG's recommendation:
> 
> http://library.gnome.org/devel/hig-book/stable/feedback-interrupting.html.en

I think these two words are clear. The definition meet my expectations
of the consequences of their use. I suspect however that many users will
not know that 'stop' may leave something in an unwanted state. I don't
think a more technical word for 'stop' will help since that introduces
jargon problems. So I believe we need to educate users that 'stop' is
not a clean cessation of an activity.

-- 

__C U R T I S  C.  H O V E Y_______
Guilty of stealing everything I am.

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