Say someone comes to me and asks, "this class has a method that returns the error but I can't remember what it is called, what is it?" If I answer "error string" he's likely to try using error_string(); I haven't been very helpful if the function is actually called errstr(). Sure, I might answer "EE-AR-AR-ESS-TEE-AR", but spelling things out makes for tedious communication (and is prone to its own sort of errors.)
I completely agree with you. I was only pointing out yet another pronunciation; in this case, the way I pronouce it. When talking in conversation where people don't need to know exactly how it is spelled, just what I'm referencing, I'll usually say "error string" instead of "air-stir" (or some form of that). If it could easily be confused with something else or needs to be more exact, I'll say "air-stir".
but do you call /etc slash-etcetera?
Actually, I do say slash-et-cetera (although you nailed everything else). In any case, I get your point. In most cases, I'll pronounce abbreviations like they are, but I'm odd and will also expand (for lack of a better term) some abbreviations as well (such as /etc).
The same goes for common functions. The str in many standard C function names is, in my experience, generally pronounced "stir" and err as in errno or stderr is often pronounced as "air".
Personally, for most C (or other programming language) functions, I usually say what it stands for. So strcmp, when reading or (especially) subvocalizing it, becomes "string compare". But yet again, I'm weird and I'll pretty much randomly either use "error no" or "air-no" for errno for no particualar reason.
Here are some other examples of abbreviations that are often pronounced in their short forms rather than expanded.
Except for the first two, I say them as you have written. For csh or ksh, I'll say each letter. In the case of bash, I'll say "bash".
But, like the saying goes, "I say toe-may-toe; you say toe-mah-toe." It doesn't really matter as long as the right meaning is communicated.
Exactly. ++ for a great node about pronoucing abbreviations/acronyms.

In reply to Re^6: How to say 'oops' in OOPs? by The Mad Hatter
in thread How to say 'oops' in OOPs? by Willard B. Trophy

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