Question to native English speakers

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Jochen Müller

I know it has nothing to do with .NET but currently I have a question coming
up on programming a C# application for the English market (I am German).

Within this application there is a list with items that have to be confirmed
by user. Just to mark all list items that are done. I called this list
'checklist' but somebody forced me to call it 'to-do list' because this
would be the more correct label and nobody would understand the meaning of
'checklist'.

What is the preference of a native speaker:
'checklist' or 'to-do list' ????

Thanks for any short reply !
 
Hi Jochen,

I'm not native speaker, but lived and study in the UK for 5 years, Task List
would be more appropriate.
 
Jochen Muller said:
I know it has nothing to do with .NET but currently I have a question
coming up on programming a C# application for the English market (I am
German).

Within this application there is a list with items that have to be
confirmed by user. Just to mark all list items that are done. I called
this list 'checklist' but somebody forced me to call it 'to-do list'
because this would be the more correct label and nobody would understand
the meaning of 'checklist'.

What is the preference of a native speaker:
'checklist' or 'to-do list' ????
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure what your list does exactly, but I don't think either is
quite correct. (Note, I'm using the Northern Midwestern American English I
grew up with, thus all speakers may not agree with the distictions I make)

A checklist is a set of steps or items you can check off as you do them or
verify them(check oil pressure, make sure you have cookies, write down gas
mileage, whatever). Checklists are sometimes formalized as well, making up
ordered lists of tasks for things like the steps to ensure you are ready to
pull out when learning to drive or ensuring an airplane is ready to fly or
all the things a repairman should check when he is servicing your
refrigerator. Checklist is ideal if the user has to take seperate action
before checking each item.

A todo list is a list of tasks that need to be done, but not in the sense of
*choosing* which tasks to do or nessecerily implying any order(or any
specific nessecity, for that matter). For example, a list that consists of:
wash dishes, make cake, and sell couch could be done in any order really,
and depending on whats going on in your life, one or another could be pushed
off for another day. Todo lists aren't traditionally bound to checking items
off (most people I know cross items off, actually), and I personally feel
they are rather informal and flexible. In most applications todo lists are
more of a set of notes about what they need to do that the user can
modify(add and remove entries) more than somethign that controls the way an
application works.

Could you clarify what information the list contains? Is it a set of steps?
A set of tasks the user has to do? A list of options the user needs to
select?
 
As a native BRITISH english speaker, I am surprised to say I agree with
Daniel's American English :)

I actually like the sound of "Task List" as (in my mind) it encompasses both
"Checklist" and "To-Do list".

But like Daniel said ... it depends on what exactly the list is for.

Sanj
 
Sanjit Suchak said:
As a native BRITISH english speaker, I am surprised to say I agree with
Daniel's American English :)
Click to expand...

Now, if we can just get an Aussie, a Canuck, and maybe an Irishman to agree,
we'll be golden, ;).
 
Daniel O'Connell said:
Now, if we can just get an Aussie, a Canuck, and maybe an Irishman to
agree, we'll be golden, ;).
Click to expand...

Here's the Canuck. :)

"Task list" sounds good to me, although I can see using "checklist" and "to
do list" interchangeably.

Marc
 
And the Kiwi votes for ... Checklist.

A task list is nothing but a list of tasks.

A to-do list is nothing but a list of things to-do.

A checklist, however, is a list of items, each of which must be 'checked
off' before a job (or task or step or whatever) can be considered to be be
completed.
 
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