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Re: [perl #131685] Rename utf8::is_utf8() (and other functions)

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From:
Dave Mitchell
Date:
July 11, 2017 07:55
Subject:
Re: [perl #131685] Rename utf8::is_utf8() (and other functions)
Message ID:
20170711075424.GN3074@iabyn.com
On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 12:45:48PM -0400, Sawyer X wrote:
> Does anyone have any comments on this? Tony, Dave, Zefram? *Karl*? :)

My opinion on this sort of proposal (and it's an opinion which has gotten
stronger over time (*)) is rarely/never to add a new alias name to an
existing function.

Alias names just increase the cognitive load. If the old names were
confusing, having more names will just increase the confusion.

Before, you would have to remember that a particular function foo() is
badly named and doesn't do what you might expect it to do, based solely on
the name.

Afterwards, you have to remember that that are two functions foo() and
bar(), one is deprecated (which one?), one is badly named (which one?),
but they both do the same thing (Or do they? Sigh. Let's check the
documentation one more time).

Life is now harder.

(*) My opinion firmed over AvFILL(). It was a weird name, but I was used to
it. Now I can never remember what the new alias is called (just looked
it up - av_top_index()). In hindsight, I would have voted against adding
av_top_index.

-- 
All wight. I will give you one more chance. This time, I want to hear
no Wubens. No Weginalds. No Wudolf the wed-nosed weindeers.
    -- Life of Brian

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