From: chil@fraser.sfu.ca (Keith Lim)
Subject: Re: Games
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 08:31:46 GMT

davevh@cs.arizona.edu (Dave Van Horn (~{Mr4sP[~})) writes:
>In article <1ibibbINNqrv@agate.berkeley.edu> jsjacob@soda.berkeley.edu (John S. Jacob) writes:
>>--
>>  [======== John S. Jacob ========]
>>  |   jsjacob@soda.berkeley.edu   |------- Address ------------+
>>  |     jsjacob@ucbocf.bitnet     | 747C Loma Verde Ave        |
>>  +-------------------------------+ Palo Alto, CA 94303-4145   |
>>    BAD THINGS happen when you  +------------------------------+
>>    allow duplicates in a search tree -- CS review session

>	Didn't someone just post about the importance of consistency
>in border design?

Ummm, that was me. For most .sigs with non-homogeneous borders (i.e., more
than one character is used in the making of the border, not all asterisks, 
for instance), there are three general conventions for intersections of
horizontal and vertical border lines (internal or external). These are
vertical-dominant, horizontal-dominant, and true intersection.

Basic examples:

 _________ _________      ---------------------     +---------+---------+
|         |         |     |         |         |     |         |         |
|_________|_________|     ---------------------     +---------+---------+
|         |         |     |         |         |     |         |         |
|_________|_________|     ---------------------     +---------+---------+

      Figure 1                   Figure 2                 Figure 3
  Vertical-dominant        Horizontal-dominant        True intersection

*********************     #####################     /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
*         *         *     #         #         #     \         \/         /
*********************     #####################     /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
*         *         *     #         #         #     \         \/         /
*********************     #####################     /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

      Figure 4                   Figure 5                 Figure 6
Homogeneous (asterisks)   Homogeneous (hashes)      Irregular (picket fence)


The categories of vertical-dominant, horizontal-dominant, and true
intersection apply to .sig borders which use mostly vertical and horizontal
lines. (The picket fence irregular in Figure 6 cannot be said to be in any 
of the three categories above.)

Anyway, the .sig I was commenting on was using a true intersection style
EXCEPT for one intersection, when it unaccountably became a horizontal-
dominant. This was the offending part: ----------+
                                                 |
          .sig  ---------->   |                  |
        (edited)             ---                 |
                                                 |
                              ^                  |
                              |                  |
                              +------------------+ 

(Observant readers will note at this point that I am using the true
intersection style in drawing my arrow.)

Of course, it is not the case that I am encouraging the use of borders (of
any kind) in .sigs. My comment was to the effect that IF you're going to
use a border in a .sig, be consistent in the use of characters. It makes
the whole damn thing *slightly* more tolerable.

Object example of inconsistent border design (relevant part excerpted for
clarity):

>>  [======== John S. Jacob ========]
>>  |   jsjacob@soda.berkeley.edu   |
>>  |     jsjacob@ucbocf.bitnet     |
>>  +-------------------------------+

               Figure 7

Here we have incongruent horizontal border lines (one double, one single),
as well as both the "+" character, and a "[", "]" pair used for the corner
intersections. The "+" is normally used in the true intersection style, but
the "[", "]" pair is completely unsuitable for use as corner symbols. About
the only time they are more-or-less acceptable is when they are used at the
intersection of a horizontal line and an *exterior* vertical border, e.g.: -+
                                                                            |
    *===============================*                                       |
    |                               |                                       |
    [===============================]  <------------------------------------+
    |                               |
    *===============================*

               Figure 8

Even this, however, is only marginally aesthetically pleasing. Far superior
are one of the three styles mentioned quite a few times already. Let us
apply the true intersection style to Figure 7, in addition to removing the
inconsistency in the horizontal border lines. Note the improvement.

>>  +-------- John S. Jacob --------+
>>  |   jsjacob@soda.berkeley.edu   |
>>  |     jsjacob@ucbocf.bitnet     |
>>  +-------------------------------+

               Figure 9

Further improvements are possible. Another general rule-of-thumb is to put
*all* the text *inside* a border, and not incorporate text into the border
itself. Applying this to Figure 9, we get:

>>  +-------------------------------+
>>  |         John S. Jacob         |
>>  |   jsjacob@soda.berkeley.edu   |
>>  |     jsjacob@ucbocf.bitnet     |
>>  +-------------------------------+

              Figure 10

Nevertheless, it cannot be stressed enough that however consistent the
.sig border, the use of a border at all is discouraged. A "nice" border is
little more than veneer on a inherently bad idea.

Here endeth the lesson.

                                                               _         __
        \ Simon Fraser Univ. / SFU does not admit to having | | >| | ^  |
--       \ Burnaby, B.C.    / opinions of its own; any that | |< | |/-\ |-
Keith Lim \ V5A 1S6 Canada / are found above are mine only  | |_>|_|| | |