Word or Expression?

[CajunCenturion]

In the irritating words and expressions thread, I offered ">." as an irritating "word"; one that has probably irritated every Tek-Tipster at one time or another. It was brought up that perhaps it should be classified as an expression rather than a word.

I guess that all depends on how you define 'word' and how you define 'expression'.

There is no right or wrong answer, but would you classify ">." as a 'word', or as an 'expression', and more to the point, why?

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[2ffat]

I would classify it as an expression. First, on the simplest level, it is not defined in any (English) dictionary. Second, on a technical level, it is two 8-bit (computer) words and thus is an "expression."



James P. Cottingham
-----------------------------------------
^{I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229!}

 

[ESquared]

Do you mean the text you see at times when loading any tek-tips.com page, instead of the desired content?

[COLOR=black #d0d0d0]My alarm clock causes time travel. When I hit snooze, no apparent time passes before the alarm sounds again, but the universe has in fact moved forward through time by ten minutes![/color]

 

[Stella740pl]

CC, I was speaking more in the sense of the definition below. As for evaluation to a single value, well, it does to a point. It evaluates to .F. were using Tek-Tips is concerned.

Any combination of variables, operators, constants, functions, and names of fields, controls, and properties that evaluates to a single value. You can use expressions as settings for many properties, and to set criteria or define calculated fields in queries.

 

[Stella740pl]

Correction.
It should be like this (missed the defined word):

expression

Any combination of variables, operators, constants, functions, and names of fields, controls, and properties that evaluates to a single value. You can use expressions as settings for many properties, and to set criteria or define calculated fields in queries.

 

[CajunCenturion]

As I said, there really is no right or wrong answer, if for no other reason, that an expression can be a single word.

The FoxPro help does offer that definition for an expression, but does it offer a definition of a word, such as something like the following?

[li]a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing[/li]

If we really want to get technical, it's probably best classified as simply a symbol.


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[Stella740pl]

The FoxPro help does offer that definition for an expression, but does it offer a definition of a word...

Not that I know off (and couldn't find one). "Word" is not a FoxPro term, "expression" is.


If we really want to get technical, it's probably best classified as simply a symbol.

Technically, it is two symbols, not one. That is why I mentioned that definition ("any combination...").

 

[AnotherHiggins]

Can I vote for String?

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[CajunCenturion]

==> Technically, it is two symbols, not one.
True, but then, technically, 'word' is four symbols, and expression is eight, with a couple being used twice.


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Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
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[mattKnight]

Lets throw a third element in here

Perhaps >. is an emoticon

Quite what it stands for, I don't know - I suggest "Frustration"

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Matt
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

 

[LNBruno]

Maybe a symbol (of what, I'll leave to your own imagination)?

I just hope it doesn't become the new logo....

< M!ke >
Your right to an opinion does not obligate me to take you seriously.
- Winston Churchill

 

[Stella740pl]

Hm. An emoticon gets my vote, too. I am not sure what it would look like, though, if converted to a pictogram.

 

[Stella740pl]

On the second thought, might be just right a pictogram for >. emoticon

 

[pinkgecko]

I know whenever I see it, I pronounce it as [expletive]. So I'd have to say word, even though it can be pronounced several different ways, depending on your personal favorite.

[blue]Never listen to your customers. They were dumb enough to buy your product, so they have no credibility. - Dogbert[/blue]

 

[AnotherHiggins]

I like the idea of it being an emoticon. That has never occurred to me before.

If it is an emoticon, I think it looks like the head of those dragons from the Atari 2600 game, Adventure.

You know, those freakin' duck-looking things*:

So it is like the dragon poked his head through from the back of the page and ate/burned all of the content.

*To see the duck, roll your cursor over the email button on the left side of the linked page.

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[Rofeu]

How about a bucket of Tipp-Ex that fell over...

 

[Stella740pl]

What's Tipp-Ex?

 

[Welshbird]

It's that white 'paint' you use to make alterations in handwritten stuff.

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[AnotherHiggins]

Ah, that's commonly known as "White Out" here in the States.

Nuthin' on the dragon?!? Didn't any of you people have an Atari 2600?

*grumble*

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[Stella740pl]

Yes, that's "White Out".

Even though the one that currently sits on my desk is called "Liquid Paper" - also a popular brand.

But a bucket of spilled white paint as a pictogram would probably work well.