Style guide should define whether or not to use abbreviations in error messages (e.g."can't" vs "can not")

Question

Style guide should define whether or not to use abbreviations in error messages (e.g."can't" vs "can not")

kud1ing opened this issue 10 years ago · comments

We're using "can't" and "can not" in error messages. I think for consistency we should settle on one.

pyfisch · Answer 1 · Wed Jan 07 2015 17:04:49 GMT+0800 (China Standard Time)

I think, that we should use always "can not" since documentation is usually written in formal language.
This also applies for all other short forms like for example "isn't".

Chris Morgan · Answer 2 · Wed Jan 07 2015 17:17:35 GMT+0800 (China Standard Time)

Bear in mind that “can not” is ambiguous in some locales; in consequence, it should never be; the unambiguous “cannot” should instead be used.

I contest that documentation is usually or should be written in rigidly formal language; I believe “can’t” to be entirely acceptable. (This simply leaves me ambivalent about which direction it goes.)