'Entire' Vs. 'Whole'

[Dick Margulis]

Barry Campbell wrote:
> On 5/24/06, Dilraj Suri <dssuri at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Could anyone please suggest, which one of the following is correct and 
>> why?
>>
>> 1. I can't see the entire <product_name_acronym> screen.
>> 2. I can't see the whole <product_name_acronym> screen.
> 
> Both of them seem fine to me, actually.  You're conveying that part of
> the screen is cut off on your display.


Actually, entire and whole are interchangeable here; but screen is 
usually the wrong word. If this is a window-type application (not 
necessarily Windows, but any window-type GUI) with scrollbars, then it 
would be appropriate to write, "I can't seen the {entire|whole} 
<product_name_acronym> window." If it is a device- and OS-independent 
Web application, then write, "I can't seen the {entire|whole} 
<product_name_acronym> page." The word screen is generally used only for 
applications that run on a character terminal.

The object on which you cannot see the page, window, or screen is the 
monitor.

The only other context in which screen is the word usually chosen is the 
surface of the device, such as when you are discussing physical care and 
maintenance of the screen.

Dick
http://ampersandvirgule.blogspot.com/