[vwrap] What does "ADT" mean?

Boroondas Gupte <sllists@boroon.dasgupta.ch> Sat, 07 May 2011 20:29 UTC

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Date: Sat, 07 May 2011 22:29:31 +0200
From: Boroondas Gupte <sllists@boroon.dasgupta.ch>
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Subject: [vwrap] What does "ADT" mean?
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Sorry to come up here with a 'language' issue, but this has confused me
a bit. (Maybe because I'm not a native speaker of English.)

The abbreviation "ADT" has been used on this list a lot recently. (I
think mainly by Morgaine.) To me, it seems like in most of the uses here
on the list, it has to have the meaning "abstract type system" to make
any sense. Though, the only related expansion of the abbreviation I can
find is "abstract data type", which isn't a synonym of "abstract type
system", as far as I can tell. (If I've understood correctly, an
abstract type system is composed from abstract data types and conversion
rules between them.)

If the use of "ADT" to mean "abstract type system" was just a mistake
that got carried on for a short time, I suggest to cease using it in
that meaning to avoid confusion and use the abbreviation only when you
actually mean "abstract data type". Either write out "abstract type
system" fully when you intend that meaning, or use a different
abbreviation - maybe "ATS" or "ADTS" (for "abstract data type system").

Cheers,
Boroondas