Forum: english.stackexchange.com
Tags: <punctuation><spacing><slash>
Title: Should I write "module/theme" or "module / theme"?
Question: I usually put a space before and after / , when indicating alternatives. We review a module / theme per user. Is it correct, or should I rewrite the sentence to remove those spaces? We review a module/theme per user.

Answers:
sents: text: You should remove the spaces.
text: Unless, of course, you are quoting a poem, in which case the slash indicates a line break: We review a module theme per user.
text: Wikipedia has more info : There are usually no spaces either before or after a slash.
text: Exceptions are in representing the start of a new line when quoting verse, or a new paragraph when quoting prose.
text: The Chicago Manual of Style (at 6.112) also allows spaces when either of the separated items is a compound that itself includes a space: Our New Zealand / Western Australia trip .
text: (Compare use of an en dash used to separate such compounds.)
text: The Canadian Style:
text: A Guide to Writing and Editing prescribes "
text: No space before or after an oblique when used between individual words, letters or symbols; one space before and after the oblique when used between longer groups which contain internal spacing", giving the examples "n/a" and "Language and Society / Langue et société".
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/300/RegDwigнt
score: 39
sents: text: In print I would leave no space, but for online usage I bracket the "/" with spaces because it is a non-breaking character and results in huge, clunky amalgamations that take up a whole line, leaving the previous line with but a couple of words.
text: This is the kind of break I mean: If you wanted to use some long words, you could go the antidisestablishmentarianism/pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosisroute.
text: The two long words won't break at a line end because of the slash, but will if the slash is surrounded by spaces.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/2303/Robusto
score: 9
sents: text: I believe the correct usage is word/word unless you're writing a line break in a poem: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? /
text: Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
text: /
text: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, /
text: And summer's lease hath
text: all too short a date:
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/1612/blsub6
score: 8
sents: text: Punctuation surrounding a slash is a matter of style.
text: The Chicago Manual of Style, for example, allows for a space on either side of the slash when either of the separated items has a space itself.
text: For your example a space on either side of the slash would be appropriate according to that style convention.
text: Regarding line breaks, you probably want the front space padding the slash to be a non-breaking space, as starting a new line with a slash would be jolting for a reader.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/3026/Jeff
score: 7
sents: text: As a technical writer I need to edit content written by engineers.
text: for some reason they have a tendency to use spaces before and after slashes, and I religiously remove them.
text: I have started rethinking my inflexibility in this matter as I believe there are times that spaces make the content more user friendly.
text: A case in point is either/or listings of terms that contain other symbols, for example "PMC_IO51 / XMC_IO_B-9".
text: The spacing makes it clear that the slash is not part of either term.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/37765/user37765
score: 4
sents: text: Normally, no spaces should be used; however, placing a slash with no spaces between two long, polysyllabic words (common in technical writing) makes the sentence harder to scan.
text: This could be one case where ignoring your style guide is justified.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/64607/Poor Yorick
score: 2

Summary of the answers:
It appears that punctuation surrounding the use of slashes is a matter of style, however, in this example, there should probably be no spaces either side of the slash unless you're writing a poem. Spaces may be more common when separating two long polysyllabic words, something which is common in technical writing.
Generally spaces should not be included unless you are quoting from a poem, but the exceptions are technical texts, where spaces can help to avoid confusion, and online texts, where they can help to avoid excessively long amalgamations that take up a whole line.
It appears that punctuation surrounding the use of slashes is a matter of style, however, in this example, there should probably be no spaces either side of the slash unless you're writing a poem. Spaces may be more common when separating two long polysyllabic words, something which is common in technical writing.
Wikipedia states :   There are usually no spaces either before or after a slash. The correct usage is word/word unless you're writing a line break in a poem:  Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? /
The spaces should be rmeoved. Normally, no spaces should be used. However, placing a slash with no spaces between two long, polysyllabic words (common in technical writing) makes the sentence harder to scan. Punctuation surrounding a slash is a matter of style.
The correct answer to this question will potentially be a question of style. However, it is generally agreed that obliques should have no spaces either side of them unless the two items being separated contain a space themselves.