[629] in ad-lib
Re: B.Index query
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (tat@MIT.EDU)
Wed May 17 17:38:08 1995
From: tat@MIT.EDU
To: sbyrd@MIT.EDU, opac-lib@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: Your message of Wed, 17 May 1995 17:24:23 -0400.
<9505172124.AA13386@macfadden.MIT.EDU>
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 17:37:26 EDT
I think the number one priority is absolutely correct.
I am not sure about the relative priority of 2 and 3--although it
would require on e extra keystroke, most Tech report numbers and gov.
doc numbers look "weird in lower case--they are generally in CAPS in
citations. We could put a warning on the pubnum index to use caps
lock. I can live with either, as long as it is consistent!!!
Thanks---
TAT
1. TOP PRIORITY: every search in the Pubnum index should be
case-insensitive. In other words, index them so they are retrievable
whether searched by upper case, lower case, or any combination.
2. If this is not possible, index them with indexing normalized to
lower case (because this wouldn't require the searcher to hit an extra
key, i.e. the shift key or the caps lock key).
3. Lowest priority: index them with indexing normalized to upper
case.
Regardless of how they're indexed, our main concern is that every
search in the Pubnum index be done the same way. Otherwise it's
inherently confusing to the user.
*****************************************************************
Theresa A. Tobin
MIT Libraries
Head, Humanities and Dewey Libraries
Humanities--14S-226 253-5674--Wednesdays and Thursdays
Dewey--E53-100 253-5670--Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays
tat@mit.edu
