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  1. OASIS Virtual I/O Device (VIRTIO) TC
  2. VIRTIO-62

Explicitly and other adjectives

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    Details

    • Type: Bug
    • Status: Resolved
    • Priority: Minor
    • Resolution: Fixed
    • Affects Version/s: virtio 1.0 csprd01
    • Fix Version/s: virtio 1.0 csprd02
    • Labels:
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      Grammar

    • Proposal:
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      Revise to remove "explicitly" and other adjectives from the draft so translators and non-Native English speakers will not have to puzzle over words that add nothing to the specification.

      BTW, for this particular case, I would say: "All multi-byte fields of virtio devices are little-endian, unless specified otherwise."

      Patch: https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/virtio-comment/201403/msg00005.html

      That eliminates the need to keep repeating the little-endian statement in 5.2.3.2.1, 5.2.5.1, 5.3.4.1, 5.3.6.1, 5.5.6.1.1, 5.6.4.1, 5.6.6.1.1, 5.6.6.2.1, and 5.6.6.3.1.

      Snipping off a few words may not seem like a lot but as you eliminate adjectives the specification will become tighter and have less repetition, which will make it easier to maintain.

      Show
      Revise to remove "explicitly" and other adjectives from the draft so translators and non-Native English speakers will not have to puzzle over words that add nothing to the specification. BTW, for this particular case, I would say: "All multi-byte fields of virtio devices are little-endian, unless specified otherwise." Patch: https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/virtio-comment/201403/msg00005.html That eliminates the need to keep repeating the little-endian statement in 5.2.3.2.1, 5.2.5.1, 5.3.4.1, 5.3.6.1, 5.5.6.1.1, 5.6.4.1, 5.6.6.1.1, 5.6.6.2.1, and 5.6.6.3.1. Snipping off a few words may not seem like a lot but as you eliminate adjectives the specification will become tighter and have less repetition, which will make it easier to maintain.
    • Resolution:
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      accepted on 2014-03-11
      applied in commit r323

      Show
      accepted on 2014-03-11 applied in commit r323

      Description

      2 Basic Facilities of a Virtio Device reads in part:

      *****
      Unless explicitly specified otherwise
      *****

      Explicitly is an adjective that modifies "specified."

      You and I as native English speakers know there is no difference between: "explicitly specified," and "specified."

      Unfortunately, non-native English speakers may not realize this and other adjectives, are just noise words in the text.

      I would not mention this except that VIRTIO has the potential to be used globally and any clarity that the TC can introduce now, will save countless non-Native English speakers and translators time and effort puzzling over where the text says "explicitly" and where it is omitted.

      For example, your specification uses the term explicitly four (4) times but, specific is used forty-three (43) times, specifically (1), specified (19), specifies (3), specify (2), and specifying (3).

      So, are any of the times you say "explicitly" specified different from the 15 times you say "specified?"

      This is just a general example and should be applied to all adjectives in the specification. (Before I finish my comments on this draft I will try to produce a list of adjectives for your consideration.)

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            • Assignee:
              rusty Rusty Russell (Inactive)
              Reporter:
              patrick Patrick Durusau
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                Updated:
                Resolved: