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by ale42 890 days ago
Is it a word or an acronym? Or neither?
3 comments

An acronym. The "GPP" is the DOS-ified spelling of "g++"; the '+' was not (officially) allowed in MS-DOS filenames. The DJ stands for the first name (not the initials, apparently [1]) of the project's originator, DJ Delorie.

Although: "Since C++ is integral to gcc, djgpp no longer stands for "DJ's G++" but probably stands for something like "DJ's GNU Programming Platform"." [2]

[1] https://www.delorie.com/users/dj/

[2] https://www.delorie.com/djgpp/history.html

DOS: "One of our commands allows separation of filenames with a + symbol, so we need to prohibit that character."

"Couldn't we rework that command to not use + separators?"

"No, far better to take that character out of consideration."

Unix: "Filenames can use control characters. I don't care if that makes pipes between commands really complicated! Add an option for NUL-separated filenames if you have to."

Ahah... it was long ago the last time I typed a command like this...

  copy /b file1+file2 output
A word. I also believe that names that don't contain any whitespace are all English words. DJGPP is an irregular one.
An acronym DJ's GNU Programming Platform (DJGPP)
Huh? It’s clearly an initialism and meant to be pronounced "dee jay gee pee pee". FBI is not written "Fbi" in English orthography.
their word, their rules.

or would you start another jif/gif-kinda war over this with the author? XD

The G is from graphics [ɡɹæfɪks].

Additionally, word-initial single G before short I is always [g] instead of [dʒ] in native English: gift girl give gibbon gimlet gizzard gilded git gimp giddy gig gimbal.

The exceptions are borrowed French words: gin (le gin), ginger (le gingembre), giraffe (la girafe), giblet (OF: gibelet).

it is funny how just mentioning it starts another instance... the power of christ compells you!
> their word, their rules

That strongly reminds me of "it's spelt Raymond Luxury-Yacht, but it's pronounced 'Throatwobbler Mangrove'".

I personally follow the "I am the user, my rules" when it comes to language rules :P. It is at least as strong as "their word, their rules".

Also I can see that Paul Graham's "my website my rules" is even stronger than mine or DJ Delorie's, so Djgpp is also correct (if not by the Gods, then by fist).

DJ's GNU Programming Platform