[Zope3-dev] Need help with jargon

[Gary Poster]

Steve Alexander wrote:

> In that case, let's call utilities "singletons", as that's the role they 
> play in an application.  Let's call multi-adapters "utilities" as PJE 
> suggests, and let's call PEP 246 adapters "adapters" as PEP 246 suggests.
> 
>   Current                          Proposed
> 
>   adapter (PEP-246 style)          adapter

+ 1.  Seems reasonable enough.

>   multi-adapter / named adapter    utility

+ 0: I agree that it would have been a good name at the start, but I 
don't look forward to being confused about whether somebody means 
"new-meaning utility" or "old-meaning utility".  I can't think of a 
better one.

I'm -1 on converter and transformer because the distinction between 
those names and 'adapter' is not obvious to me, and I don't like 
synonyms for names of things that are not interchangeable.  I get 
confused easily. :-)  That said, maybe Philipp's direction will be a 
fruitful avenue of exploration.

>   utility                          singleton

+ 1.  I think this is an improvement for a number of reasons, not least 
of which that I find 'service' and 'utility' to be somewhat 
interchangeable in sentences--and in fact, when they are not, an example 
'utility' is 'electricity' (essential), while an example service is 
'cleaning' (not essential :-).  But that's probably a controversial 
argument.  I'll leave it by saying that 'singleton' does convey useful 
information, as Steve argues.

Gary