Re: talking about LR(n) parsers

burshte@pyrps5.eng.pyramid.com (Boris Burshteyn) writes:
>
> Briefly, [my] algorithm works as follows. First, the LR0 automata
>is built....


I know this is going to sound pedantic, but it's really important for
people involved in automaton theory to use the word 'automaton' in a
standard, accepted fashion. 'Automaton' is a singular (derived from
the Greek neuter singular), and its plural is 'automata.' So you can
talk about automaton theory, and about creating several automata, but
not about 'an automata.' It's kind of like talking about 'parser con-
struction' and about constructing several parsers. You would never
talk about 'parsers theory' or about constructing 'a parsers.' Carry
the analogy over to 'automaton' and you'll get the idea.


Really, dumb points of usage like this should not impinge on the basic
point people have to make, but inevitably people's inner prejudices
get involved. Bottom line: Here no one presumably cares, but if you
are publishing, be sure you've got the grammar straight.


--


      -Richard L. Goerwitz goer%sophist@uchicago.bitnet
      goer@sophist.uchicago.edu rutgers!oddjob!gide!sophist!goer
[Sorry, I should have caught that. I'm not crazy about "the data is",
either. -John]
--

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