I had a simple goal. Well, someone else had a simple goal, but it was my task to fulfill it: raise the maximum number of files that could be listed in a directory in an ftp client. Pure FTP by default limits this to 2000, a reasonable limit in my opinion. But no, them what pays the bills needed it higher.
It took me fifteen minutes to find the variable that needs to be set in Pure FTP’s config file (and not because of a deficiency in my google-fu):
LimitRecursion
Oh, the things that I googled! The terms that I grepped! Things like “max” and “num” and “files”. I finally stumbled upon “limit” and found the bugger. Yet fifteen minutes! Far too much time for such a simple task.
Naming that variable LimitRecursion makes sense when you’re programming. You’re writing an ftp server, and suddenly you realize “hey, this directory with a crapton of files is nomming my resources, thanks to recursion. Let’s limit the amount of recursion that can occur and keep the server happy in the process. Let’s see, I’m trying to limit recursion… hmm… what should I name my variable…”
But when you answer LimitRecursion you are wrong sir. Because this program will be used by people who don’t give a fig how you keep the server up (limiting recursion) but do give a fig about the maximum number of files they can display.
When you name a variable, or create an API, please, for the love of Pete and end users and sysadmins everywhere, NAME IT LIKE YOU’RE AN END USER. By doing so, you GREATLY lessen your chances of being injured by an end user with a voodoo doll.