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From: "Herb Martin" <HerbM AT learnquick DOT com>
To: "'Cygwin List'" <cygwin AT cygwin DOT com>
Subject: RE: setup.exe filename
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 18:25:45 -0500
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In-Reply-To: <2ee1c2b3050807150910c679c5@mail.gmail.com>

> > Naming the program "setup.exe" is crude;  it should have a version 
> > number and something about "cygwin" in the name.
> 
> Wait a minute.  The full name of the file is http://cygwin.com/setup.exe.


No, the name of the FILE is setup.exe once it is saved (using defaults
which is what the "average user" always does.

> There is nothing confusing about it.  

You may ONLY claim that for yourself.  If others say it is confusing then
for them at least it is -- if many others say it is confusing this is a real
problem
even if you or many other say it is not.

For deveopers the decision is:   Is it important enough to make it easy for
that number of users.

> If you look closely, (almost) every piece of 
> software install program contains a copy of setup.exe (or 
> SETUP.EXE).  That seems to be the Windows way of install programs.

No, if you look closely you will see this is almost never the case for
DISTRIBUTION package files or single install files -- it used to be true
but was given up as a poor practice.

What is confusing you here is that many CDROMs and expanded distribution
files have a setup.exe (best practice today is an MSI) but only on the CD or
after expanding into their OWN SUBDIRECTORY (named for the program.)

> > Couldn't you just name it something useful? (<ironic grin>)

> Setup.exe is plenty useful.  I've been using it, you know, 
> running it everyday before I go making my tea, for the past 
> eighteen years.  And never had I been confused.

You are not speaking for the "average user" who is commonly 
confused by such poorly chosen names.  

Many of these users can barely figure out WHERE the download
directory is located.

Now, you have the arguments and you may chose to ignore them
or not but any further explanation on my part would likely be redundant.


--
Herb Martin
HerbM AT LearnQuick DOT Com http://LearnQuick.Com


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