🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1i2durINN2pj@rodan.UU.NET> avg@rodan.UU.NET (Vadim Antonov) writes:
 > >If so, what are the consequences,
 > 
 > The good spell-checker will suggest to replace the letter with the
 > correct one.

I can imagine the confusion:
  spelling error, suggested replacement "a for "a.
 > 
 > >Moreover, one question: how would you encode the German A-umlaut such that
 > >it sorts properly (i.e. as if it is the letter combination AE)?
 > 
 > The sorting order should be strict -- if you have two identical words
 > with a-umlaut and ae in the middle is it the same word? If it is then
 > ae IS a variation of a-umlaut and should always be treated as a signle
 > letter.
 > 
I do not think you understand.  From the AVON (Amtliches Verzeichnis der
Ortnetzkennzahlen) edition 1985, which gives area codes for the places in
Germany.  The next is a selection of places mentioned ("o is o-umlaut):
	Modautal
	M"ockm"uhl
	...
	M"ornsheim
	Moers
	M"ossingen
	...
	M"otzingen
	Mogendorf
now come up with a coding that allows this (standard German) sorting.
Note that it is not allowed to spell Moers as M"ors, that is a severe
spelling error!  On the other hand in the absense of umlauts it is
allowable to spell "o as oe (because it is in fact a shorthand for it),
but to do so when there are umlauts available does not look very good.
 > 
 > >Even in
 > >a single language (German) you can not come up with a coding that gives
 > >proper sorting. 
 > 
 > You can come with a reasonable approximation anyway.

If so, what do you deem reasonable in this case?
...
 > Forget about "traditions" -- users do not care which code is inside if
 > it looks like their usual stuff.

So users are completely uninterested in the coding and the sorting algorithm
used!
-- 
dik t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj  amsterdam, nederland
home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn  amsterdam, nederland; e-mail: dik@cwi.nl