[drupal-devel] [feature] rename 'path alias' to 'custom url'

[Bèr Kessels]

Issue status update for 
http://drupal.org/node/30509
Post a follow up: 
http://drupal.org/project/comments/add/30509

 Project:      Drupal
 Version:      cvs
 Component:    path.module
 Category:     feature requests
 Priority:     normal
 Assigned to:  moshe weitzman
 Reported by:  moshe weitzman
 Updated by:   Bèr Kessels
 Status:       patch (code needs review)

In general changing words will not help a lot. Especially if you change
something into an easier, yet incorrect (or not fully covering) term.
taxonomy is just that: taxonomy. taxonomyes are not categories! A path
alias is just that: an alias for a path. It is not a custom URL.
So I agre with morbus: we should not use incorrect terminology.




Bèr Kessels



Previous comments:
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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 14:17:34 +0000 : moshe weitzman

Attachment: http://drupal.org/files/issues/custom_url.patch (1.71 KB)

i have had several people frown and ask what the heck we mean in the
posting UI by 'path alias'. Once I explain, they adore the feature and
suggest the alternative wording 'custom url'. So here is a patch which
changes the user facing name of this feature. Admin area is unchanged
and probably shouldn't be since the concept of an alias is more
important there.




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 18:46:35 +0000 : Morbus Iff

-1 from me. The purist in me would see "custom URL" and would enter the
full URL: http://something.com/blah/, not the actual, um, "path alias"
that the thing is looking for. URL actually *means* something, and
that's "http://something/blah/" not "blah".




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 18:53:50 +0000 : m3avrck

-1 from me as well, "Custom URL" just doesn't make as much sense. Then
again, I do see the issues with the word "Path" but "alias" should make
sense to most people.


So what about "URL alias" ? That would combine the best of both worlds,
IMO :)




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 18:54:37 +0000 : Crell

I have to agree with Morbus and -1 this one for the same reason.  I'd
say that if anything, the help text below the path alias text box
should be improved.  The lone example of "about" doesn't help much.  A
better example would be:


For example, enter "mypages/about" if you want a page to appear at
http://yoursite.com/mypages/about.
Something like that would make it much clearer what part of the URL one
is entering.  It could even be customized to use $base_url there, so
that it's site specific. :-)




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:01:54 +0000 : Morbus Iff

I think I'd be fine with "URL path", in as much as a path is not a URL
(or a shaving is not a pencil, for equivalence). "URL alias" I'd still
be concerned about - there's nothing in those two words that would
dissuade me from using an entire URL (unlike "URL path"). "Alternative
URL path"?




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:12:37 +0000 : m3avrck

Well building upon that don't we get run full circle to "URL Path Alias"
? Maybe that makes the *most* sense :)




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:41:41 +0000 : nedjo

custom link?  custom address?


I agree the current label is confusing.




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:51:39 +0000 : moshe weitzman

come on. our goal here is not to prevent a hard core developer from
typing in 'http'. we are trying to make software that normal people can
use without stressing their brains. neither 'path' nor 'alias'
contribute toward this goal.


'custom' is good because joe user gets it through his head that he can
control the urls. this is a mind blowing moment for many new users.
they never had it so good! 'url' isn't that great, and morbus might get
confused by it (cough cough). so i like 'custom address' a lot.




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:55:44 +0000 : Morbus Iff

"Custom address" doesn't work for me - I think of address as a complete
street address, or a complete web site address, not just "Concord, NH"
or "blah". As for user vs. hardcore, I've no problem with that, but I
will not stand for using terms improperly - that's just making users
dumber, and our lives more difficult in the future.




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Tue, 06 Sep 2005 20:05:30 +0000 : Morbus Iff

With that said, I'd be fine with "custom address", assuming the help
text gets improved per #3.