Re: Cannot - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From David E. Wheeler
Subject Re: Cannot
Date
Msg-id 0EA7B34A-AA16-4611-8AA6-D399B0028939@kineticode.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: Cannot  (Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net>)
Responses Re: Cannot  (Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net>)
Re: Cannot  (Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>)
List pgsql-hackers
On Oct 26, 2011, at 2:06 PM, Andrew Dunstan wrote:

>> Suggested doc “patch”:
>>
>>     grep -lri 'can not' doc | xargs perl -i -pe 's/can not/cannot/g'
>
> Why? "can not" is perfectly grammatical AFAIK.

True, but there's a logic issue. Take this example from doc/src/sgml/func.sgml:

>    <para>
>      <function>pg_advisory_xact_lock</> works the same as
>      <function>pg_advisory_lock</>, expect the lock is automatically released
>      at the end of the current transaction and can not be released explicitly.
>     </para>

I read this as equivalent to "can be not released." Which of course is silly, so as I read it I realize what it means,
butit trips up my overly logical brain. It interrupts the flow. There is no such confusion in "cannot be released" and
thusno tripping up on meaning. 

Best,

David

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