Re: Alternative word for "execute"

[David Lettvin <David -dot- Lettvin -at- SEAGATESOFTWARE -dot- COM>]

So how are you going to talk about "executable" files Y'know EXEs . .
.  Also, the punitive "stop" meaning of execution is fourth out of
five in my desk dictionary and second in my online thesaurus.

-----Original Message-----
From:   Carl Stieren [SMTP:STIEREN -at- SIMWARE -dot- COM]
Sent:   Tuesday, June 10, 1997 12:07 PM
To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject:        Alternative word for "execute"

I'm finally implementing a suggestion of our former technical editor
at
Simware.

She encouraged us to find a replacement for the word "execution" that
means
the running of a routine or a program.

Her reasons, as I remember them, were:

1. Internationalization: One word should have one meaning, and
execution
means the putting to death of a human being by the state as a penalty
for
certain crimes (while the death penalty has been abolished by Canada,
some
countries still execute people for certain crimes)

2. Clarity: the other meaning of execute actually puts a stop to
something
(a life), so using execution to mean "carrying out" or "running"
sounds a
bit confusing. (For this reason that I never use the word "sanction",
which
has two diametrically opposed meanings).

Now ...what substitute should I use in these contexts? I'm thinking of
using
variations on "run". All but a few seem to fit.

OLD                             NEW

execute                         run
executed                       run
execution       running
execution time               runtime

Now while most of these substitutions work, I'm up against some
difficult
sentences in the REXXWARE Programmer's Guide:

" COMPILE:  This function compiles a specified file containing
REXXWARE
source code and creates a computed version of the file in an
executable
format (.NPC). "

What do I do here?  Any suggestions?

 - Carl Stieren
  Writer
  Simware, Inc.
  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
... where you can go cycling on the bikepaths along the canals and
parkways
and people get along most of the time ...

~
 TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a
message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot-  Send
commands
   to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
  Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/  or search and
browse the archives at
http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
 Send list questions or problems to the listowner at

 TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot-  Send commands
   to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
  Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/  or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html