Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • World
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Code Project
  1. Home
  2. Other Discussions
  3. The Weird and The Wonderful
  4. Doesn't "should" mean it's not required?

Doesn't "should" mean it's not required?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Weird and The Wonderful
question
32 Posts 17 Posters 2 Views 1 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • R Rio Rico Rick

    From the requirements document: "The password entered by the user should be rejected if it does not contain at least six characters." If I received that requirement from my boss, I would make darn sure that the password is rejected. I don't think I would randomly reject some and not others. How about "You shouldn't break the speed limit"? Now, if you were being chased by a tyrannosaurus rex, I think the judge would (should?) let you off the hook.

    hatfok King Yiddum's Castle Pegasus Galaxy

    W Offline
    W Offline
    WiganLatics
    wrote on last edited by
    #19

    If I receive a requirement document from the boss, I just do what I want. It usually has an "optional requirements" section...

    R 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • P PIEBALDconsult

      Quote:

      Your password should contain at least 6 characters

      If you're going to require it; don't say "should", say "must". :mad:

      B Offline
      B Offline
      BrainiacV
      wrote on last edited by
      #20

      I think it is just local interpretation. I used to work with a guy who thought if a sentence contained the word "are" that it was then a question. "Are you going to do that?" "Where are you?" He didn't have an audible response when I said. "You are out of your mind." So maybe in the writer's local culture, saying "should" implied "have to".

      Psychosis at 10 Film at 11 Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not remember the past, cannot build upon it.

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • P PIEBALDconsult

        Quote:

        Your password should contain at least 6 characters

        If you're going to require it; don't say "should", say "must". :mad:

        L Offline
        L Offline
        Lost User
        wrote on last edited by
        #21

        The software is being polite; it's anticipating users who do not like being told what to do.

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • W WiganLatics

          If I receive a requirement document from the boss, I just do what I want. It usually has an "optional requirements" section...

          R Offline
          R Offline
          Rio Rico Rick
          wrote on last edited by
          #22

          Well then, what exactly do you do when they are not in the "optional" section? Please enlighten us! I'll check, but I'm sure I did not mention optional requirements.

          hatfok King Yiddum's Castle Pegasus Galaxy

          W 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • R Rio Rico Rick

            Well then, what exactly do you do when they are not in the "optional" section? Please enlighten us! I'll check, but I'm sure I did not mention optional requirements.

            hatfok King Yiddum's Castle Pegasus Galaxy

            W Offline
            W Offline
            WiganLatics
            wrote on last edited by
            #23

            Do I need to buy a sarcasm sign?

            R R 2 Replies Last reply
            0
            • W WiganLatics

              Do I need to buy a sarcasm sign?

              R Offline
              R Offline
              Rio Rico Rick
              wrote on last edited by
              #24

              No, but if you do, would you pick one up for me as well? :)

              hatfok King Yiddum's Castle Pegasus Galaxy

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • P PIEBALDconsult

                Quote:

                Your password should contain at least 6 characters

                If you're going to require it; don't say "should", say "must". :mad:

                S Offline
                S Offline
                SeattleC
                wrote on last edited by
                #25

                As used in many standards documents, "should" means, "This is a best practice. You're an idiot if you don't." It is the concensus advice of the standard-writers who are usually very experienced people. It is the behavior of a very junior, very unimformed person not to treat "should" advice in a standards document as "do it". But hey, knock yourself out, do a half-assed job. That's the way to impress your boss and your customers. I think there are people who are still rebelling against "should" advice in standards documents because they hated hearing their mom tell them what they "should" do. Chances are mom was right too.

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • P PIEBALDconsult

                  No assigngment must be finished.

                  W Offline
                  W Offline
                  WiganLatics
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #26

                  It must be finished as a prerequisite for getting top marks. But if you don't desire top marks then it needn't be finished.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • P PIEBALDconsult

                    Quote:

                    Your password should contain at least 6 characters

                    If you're going to require it; don't say "should", say "must". :mad:

                    K Offline
                    K Offline
                    kalberts
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #27

                    Quote:

                    Your password should contain at least 6 characters

                    Isn't that another way of stating: "Penis" is too short ?

                    P 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • K kalberts

                      Quote:

                      Your password should contain at least 6 characters

                      Isn't that another way of stating: "Penis" is too short ?

                      P Offline
                      P Offline
                      PIEBALDconsult
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #28

                      I would then expect the validator to say, "Is it in yet?".

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • L Lost User

                        If it says "should" then it is not optional, like in "could". You should be "this tall" to ride this ride.

                        Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

                        J Offline
                        J Offline
                        James Lonero
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #29

                        In most cases, 'should' gives you some wiggle room. For DOD purposes, 'shall' means absolutely must be, required to be.

                        L 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • J James Lonero

                          In most cases, 'should' gives you some wiggle room. For DOD purposes, 'shall' means absolutely must be, required to be.

                          L Offline
                          L Offline
                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #30

                          James Lonero wrote:

                          In most cases, 'should' gives you some wiggle room.

                          So, more a very strong recommendation. Something like "all variable names should have a meaningfull name", and "code comments should be not stating the obvious".

                          James Lonero wrote:

                          For DOD purposes, 'shall' means absolutely must be, required to be.

                          Good thing I don't work there then. We shall die, the rest is uncertain and open to discussion :)

                          Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • W WiganLatics

                            Do I need to buy a sarcasm sign?

                            R Offline
                            R Offline
                            Rob Grainger
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #31

                            WiganLatics wrote:

                            Do I need to buy a sarcasm sign?

                            Yes, you really should ;-)

                            "If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough." Alan Kay.

                            R 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • R Rob Grainger

                              WiganLatics wrote:

                              Do I need to buy a sarcasm sign?

                              Yes, you really should ;-)

                              "If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough." Alan Kay.

                              R Offline
                              R Offline
                              Rio Rico Rick
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #32

                              Teal'c says "Indeed"!

                              hatfok King Yiddum's Castle Pegasus Galaxy

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              Reply
                              • Reply as topic
                              Log in to reply
                              • Oldest to Newest
                              • Newest to Oldest
                              • Most Votes


                              • Login

                              • Don't have an account? Register

                              • Login or register to search.
                              • First post
                                Last post
                              0
                              • Categories
                              • Recent
                              • Tags
                              • Popular
                              • World
                              • Users
                              • Groups