Question to native English speakers

[Jochen Müller]

I know it has nothing to do with .NET but currently I have a question coming
up on programming a C# application for the English market (I am German).

Within this application there is a list with items that have to be confirmed
by user. Just to mark all list items that are done. I called this list
'checklist' but somebody forced me to call it 'to-do list' because this
would be the more correct label and nobody would understand the meaning of
'checklist'.

What is the preference of a native speaker:
'checklist' or 'to-do list' ????

Thanks for any short reply !

[Nassos]

Hi Jochen,

I'm not native speaker, but lived and study in the UK for 5 years, Task List
would be more appropriate.

"Jochen Müller" <jo*****************@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Od**************@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...

I know it has nothing to do with .NET but currently I have a question
coming up on programming a C# application for the English market (I am
German).

Within this application there is a list with items that have to be
confirmed by user. Just to mark all list items that are done. I called
this list 'checklist' but somebody forced me to call it 'to-do list'
because this would be the more correct label and nobody would understand
the meaning of 'checklist'.

What is the preference of a native speaker:
'checklist' or 'to-do list' ????

Thanks for any short reply !

[Daniel O'Connell [C# MVP]]

"Jochen Muller" <jo*****************@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Od**************@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...

I know it has nothing to do with .NET but currently I have a question
coming up on programming a C# application for the English market (I am
German).

Within this application there is a list with items that have to be
confirmed by user. Just to mark all list items that are done. I called
this list 'checklist' but somebody forced me to call it 'to-do list'
because this would be the more correct label and nobody would understand
the meaning of 'checklist'.

What is the preference of a native speaker:
'checklist' or 'to-do list' ????

I'm not quite sure what your list does exactly, but I don't think either is
quite correct. (Note, I'm using the Northern Midwestern American English I
grew up with, thus all speakers may not agree with the distictions I make)

A checklist is a set of steps or items you can check off as you do them or
verify them(check oil pressure, make sure you have cookies, write down gas
mileage, whatever). Checklists are sometimes formalized as well, making up
ordered lists of tasks for things like the steps to ensure you are ready to
pull out when learning to drive or ensuring an airplane is ready to fly or
all the things a repairman should check when he is servicing your
refrigerator. Checklist is ideal if the user has to take seperate action
before checking each item.

A todo list is a list of tasks that need to be done, but not in the sense of
*choosing* which tasks to do or nessecerily implying any order(or any
specific nessecity, for that matter). For example, a list that consists of:
wash dishes, make cake, and sell couch could be done in any order really,
and depending on whats going on in your life, one or another could be pushed
off for another day. Todo lists aren't traditionally bound to checking items
off (most people I know cross items off, actually), and I personally feel
they are rather informal and flexible. In most applications todo lists are
more of a set of notes about what they need to do that the user can
modify(add and remove entries) more than somethign that controls the way an
application works.

Could you clarify what information the list contains? Is it a set of steps?
A set of tasks the user has to do? A list of options the user needs to
select?

[Sanjit Suchak]

As a native BRITISH english speaker, I am surprised to say I agree with
Daniel's American English :)

I actually like the sound of "Task List" as (in my mind) it encompasses both
"Checklist" and "To-Do list".

But like Daniel said ... it depends on what exactly the list is for.

Sanj
"Daniel O'Connell [C# MVP]" <[e-mail]> wrote in
message news:u$*************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

"Jochen Muller" <jo*****************@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Od**************@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...

I know it has nothing to do with .NET but currently I have a question
coming up on programming a C# application for the English market (I am
German).

Within this application there is a list with items that have to be
confirmed by user. Just to mark all list items that are done. I called
this list 'checklist' but somebody forced me to call it 'to-do list'
because this would be the more correct label and nobody would understand
the meaning of 'checklist'.

What is the preference of a native speaker:
'checklist' or 'to-do list' ????

I'm not quite sure what your list does exactly, but I don't think either
is quite correct. (Note, I'm using the Northern Midwestern American
English I grew up with, thus all speakers may not agree with the
distictions I make)

A checklist is a set of steps or items you can check off as you do them or
verify them(check oil pressure, make sure you have cookies, write down gas
mileage, whatever). Checklists are sometimes formalized as well, making up
ordered lists of tasks for things like the steps to ensure you are ready
to pull out when learning to drive or ensuring an airplane is ready to fly
or all the things a repairman should check when he is servicing your
refrigerator. Checklist is ideal if the user has to take seperate action
before checking each item.

A todo list is a list of tasks that need to be done, but not in the sense
of *choosing* which tasks to do or nessecerily implying any order(or any
specific nessecity, for that matter). For example, a list that consists
of: wash dishes, make cake, and sell couch could be done in any order
really, and depending on whats going on in your life, one or another could
be pushed off for another day. Todo lists aren't traditionally bound to
checking items off (most people I know cross items off, actually), and I
personally feel they are rather informal and flexible. In most
applications todo lists are more of a set of notes about what they need to
do that the user can modify(add and remove entries) more than somethign
that controls the way an application works.

Could you clarify what information the list contains? Is it a set of
steps? A set of tasks the user has to do? A list of options the user needs
to select?

[Daniel O'Connell [C# MVP]]

"Sanjit Suchak" <sa*****@solarweb.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

As a native BRITISH english speaker, I am surprised to say I agree with
Daniel's American English :)

Now, if we can just get an Aussie, a Canuck, and maybe an Irishman to agree,
we'll be golden, ;).

[Marc Bernard]

"Daniel O'Connell [C# MVP]" <[e-mail]> wrote in
message news:uu**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

"Sanjit Suchak" <sa*****@solarweb.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

As a native BRITISH english speaker, I am surprised to say I agree with
Daniel's American English :)

Now, if we can just get an Aussie, a Canuck, and maybe an Irishman to
agree, we'll be golden, ;).

Here's the Canuck. :)

"Task list" sounds good to me, although I can see using "checklist" and "to
do list" interchangeably.

Marc

[Stephany Young]

And the Kiwi votes for ... Checklist.

A task list is nothing but a list of tasks.

A to-do list is nothing but a list of things to-do.

A checklist, however, is a list of items, each of which must be 'checked
off' before a job (or task or step or whatever) can be considered to be be
completed.
"Daniel O'Connell [C# MVP]" <[e-mail]> wrote in
message news:uu**************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

"Sanjit Suchak" <sa*****@solarweb.com> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

As a native BRITISH english speaker, I am surprised to say I agree with
Daniel's American English :)

Now, if we can just get an Aussie, a Canuck, and maybe an Irishman to
agree, we'll be golden, ;).