- Justification For Existence
- Keybinding
- Usage
- Installation
- Is It An Initialism, Acronym, or Abbreviation?
- Definitions
- Frequently Answered Questions
This tool makes memorizing scripts and speaches easier!
Why struggle with the tedious and error-prone task of creating initialisms for an entire script by hand? This program does it with impeccable precision for you every time, allowing you to format the output to your liking. Experience the ease and convenience for yourself―your brain will love it!
- Before using this program
- Watch Lauren Tothero explain how this technique works
For easier usage―keybind initialism-dispatch.
A-N is particularly nice to avoid stomping on existing bindings.
Even better: make it available everywhere.
Here is how:
(global-set-key [(alt shift ?n)] #'initialism-dispatch)In this example, create the initialism EMACS from the phrase “Eventually
Munches All Computer Storage,” following the most frequently used functions in
the typical workflow’s order. You can use the dispatcher function to do the work
using prefix arguments or call the functions individually. This example uses
prefix arguments:
- Building it
initialism-dispatch: Callsinitialism-build
- Reviewing it
C-u initialism-dispatch: Callsinitialism-view
- Inserting it
C-u C-u initialism-dispatch: Callsinitialism-insert
- Deleting it
C-u C-u C-u initialism-dispatch: Callsinitialism-delete
Start by positioning the Cursor at the start of the first word. Call
initialism-dispatch. Notice that the value of the initialism appears in the
Echo Area, and the Cursor moves one step forward. Call initialism-dispatch
again, and the Cursor moves, but nothing appears in the Echo Area. You can’t make
an initialism using whitespace characters, so it is ignored. Call
initialism-dispatch noting that the current initialism value is again
displayed in the Echo Area, and the Cursor moves forward, this time with an
additional character appended. Call
initialism-dispatch, and the space character is then ignored. As you repeatedly
call initialism-dispatch, you can watch the initialism built until you finally
reach the end of the line, and I don’t know how to proceed.
@ represents the cursor location before calling initialism-dispatch
@Eventually Munches All Computer Storage
(E)
Eventually @Munches All Computer Storage
(EM)
Eventually Munches @All Computer Storage
(EMA)
Eventually Munches All @Computer Storage
(EMAC)
Eventually Munches All Computer @Storage
(EMACS)
Review the initialism value by calling C-u initialism-dispatch and observing
the Echo Area.
(EMACS)
Insert the initialism value by calling C-u C-u initialism-dispatch.
/@\
/(EMACS)@\
It’s important to understand that the format of the initialism is separate from
the data itself. The actual initialism data, the Model, is stored in a private
variable that you won’t need to touch. What you see presented from that data,
the View, is the result of formatting the Model with the
initialism-format-string, which you can modify to your liking.
Consider this example so far.
- The Model: EMACS
- The View: (EMACS)
Imagine that you want to format the initialism as bold text in LaTeX without
parentheses around it. Use customize to customize initialism-format-string
with the value \textbf{%s} and you now end up with
- The Model: EMACS
- The View:
\textbf{EMACS}
Note: if you need the model’s value then call initialism-get-model
Delete the initialism value by calling C-u C-u C-u initialism-dispatch and
note in the Echo Area the message.
(initialism) View deleted.
This example reflects the typical workflow for building an initialism. Call
initialism-help to review the workflow. If you want to call the individual
functions for each workflow step, you’ll also find their names.
Whenever I work, I try to explain what I’m doing in the Echo Area. If something doesn’t work right, start there, and if I failed you, please create a support ticket.
Now, start creating your next initialism.
Download initialism.el into ~/src and add this to your configuration file:
(add-to-list 'load-path "~/src")
(require 'initialism)Download initialism.el, call package-install-file, and specify that file.
Add (require 'initialism) to your configuration file.
Eventually this will get added to MELPA.
- What is the difference between an acronym and an initialism?
- Both acronyms and initialisms are made up of the first letter or letters of the words in a phrase. The word acronym typically applies when the resulting thing can be read as a word; for example, radar comes from “𝙧𝙖dio 𝙙etection 𝙖nd 𝙧anging” and scuba comes from “𝙨elf-𝙘ontained 𝙪nderwater 𝙗reathing 𝙖pparatus.” The word initialism only applies when the resulting thing is read as an abbreviation; for example DIY, which comes from “𝙙o 𝙞t 𝙮ourself,” is pronounced by saying the names of the letters. Note that the word acronym is also sometimes used to mean “initialism.”
- What is the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation?
- An acronym is a kind of abbreviation. Abbreviations can be shortened forms of any kind. For example, appt is an abbreviation of appointment, and ASAP is an abbreviation of 𝙖s 𝙨oon 𝙖s 𝙥ossible. ASAP, however, also qualifies as an acronym because it is made up of the initial letters of the phrase it comes from: 𝙖s 𝙨oon 𝙖s 𝙥ossible.
- Source: “Acronym. (Frequently Asked Questions)” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acronym. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
- initialism
- :an abbreviation formed from initial letters
- Source: “Initialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initialism. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
- acronym
- :a word (such as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the
initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a
compound term
- also :an abbreviation (such as FBI) formed from initial letters:
initialism
- Is OK an acronym?
- OK is technically an acronym. It comes from the phrase “oll korrect,” a humorous alteration of “all correct.”
- Is OK an acronym?
- Examples of acronym in a Sentence
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is known by the acronym “NATO.”
- Source: “Acronym.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acronym. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
- also :an abbreviation (such as FBI) formed from initial letters:
initialism
- abbreviation
- :a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of
the whole word or phrase
- “Amt” is an abbreviation for “amount.”
- “USA” is an abbreviation of “United States of America.”
- Did you know?
- What’s the difference between an abbreviation and an acronym?
- Some people are unsure of whether to call ASAP or appt abbreviations or acronyms. Both abbreviation and acronym are used to refer to a shortened form, but an acronym is a shortened form of a phrase and is usually made up of the initial letters of that phrase. For example, NATO comes from “North Atlantic Treaty Organization,” and ASAP comes from “as soon as possible.” Abbreviations, on the other hand, can be shortened forms of words or phrases, and need not necessarily be made up of the initial letters of either. ASAP and appt (for appointment) are both considered abbreviations, but only ASAP is an acronym. Acronyms are a type of abbreviation.
- What’s the difference between an abbreviation and an acronym?
- Source: “Abbreviation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbreviation. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Indeed, now you must ask yourself, “But why can’t you handle the end-of-line
character, my dear system?” The answer is simple: it makes it easy for you to
create initialism starting from wherever you like, skipping lines, paragraphs,
or whatever you wish; there are no limits on the source and sequencing of your
initialism. Therefore, I assume nothing beyond the fact that building the
initialism using only the Character Classes [[:alnum:]] and [[:punct:]]
It might sound like a good idea to support processing a marked region. However, that goes against the workflow of iteratively creating the initialism. Once in a while, your words will work perfectly for an enormous amount of text, but that is rare enough to omit the feature.
Suppose you always want to process the Model with a post-processing every time you insert it into the buffer. Providing a “default customizable function to handle insertion” might make sense. For example, you could configure it to split the Model into separate boxes in LaTeX. However, if you already know how to perform this step using your function, it doesn’t add much value using a configurable function in addition to that.
Since every acronym is an initialism, you will find many. However, I’ve yet to find an interactive app like this one. Understandably, though, this is a specialized approach.
That said, the dCode application is entertaining.
This application does not generate rebuses.
- rebus
- : a representation of words or syllables by pictures of objects or by
symbols whose names resemble the intended words or syllables in sound
- also : a riddle made up of such pictures or symbols
- Did you know?
- Rebus and a Lack of Words
- A rebus communicates its message by means of pictures or symbols whose names sound like various parts of a word, phrase, or sentence. For example, a picture of a can of tomatoes followed by the letters UC and a picture of a well means “Can you see well?” In Latin, the word rebus means “by things”; rebus is a form of the Latin word res, which means “thing.” English speakers started using the word rebus for picture writing in the early 1600s.
- Rebus and a Lack of Words
- Source: “Rebus” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebus. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
While interesting, they are generally unrelated to the goals of this project.
initialism-dispatch delegates work to four other functions (see above). Why
not bind keys to each of them instead? You can and should: it is all personal
preference.
Given the workflow above, the four steps of building an initialism prefix arguments feel like a natural approach. Specifically, when you follow the workflow, you are already taking “breaks” between the steps. Creating them doesn’t require lightning; it makes the task harder. Consequently, prefix arguments get you back into the mindset of making it easy to develop initialisms.
Shouldn’t it be named Acronym or abbreviated? No, neither should be.
Every acronym is an initialism, but not vice versa. You must design the words of the acronym yourself and then use this library to create it. This library doesn’t help you choose those words.
An abbreviation is a shortened or contracted phrase. It might be an initialism, an/acronym/, or more. This library doesn’t help you figure out how to build the last two.
Consequently, it should be named Initialism.
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