"Consume", "Skip", "Eat", "Munch", "Bite", or...?

[Andrei Alexandrescu]

Michel Fortin wrote:
> On 2010-02-20 15:48:10 -0500, Andrei Alexandrescu 
> <SeeWebsiteForEmail at erdani.org> said:
> 
>> To focus the discussion about naming conventions, let's discuss one 
>> particular aspect. Right now we have in std.algorithm:
>>
>> =======================
>> /**
>> If the range $(D doesThisStart) starts with $(I any) of the $(D
>> withOneOfThese) ranges or elements, returns 1 if it starts with $(D
>> withOneOfThese[0]), 2 if it starts with $(D withOneOfThese[1]), and so
>> on. If no match, returns 0.
>>
>> Example:
>> ----
>> assert(startsWith("abc", ""));
>> assert(startsWith("abc", "a"));
>> assert(!startsWith("abc", "b"));
>> assert(startsWith("abc", 'a', "b") == 1);
>> assert(startsWith("abc", "b", "a") == 2);
>> assert(startsWith("abc", "a", "a") == 1);
>> assert(startsWith("abc", "x", "a", "b") == 2);
>> assert(startsWith("abc", "x", "aa", "ab") == 3);
>> assert(startsWith("abc", "x", "aaa", "sab") == 0);
>> assert(startsWith("abc", "x", "aaa", 'a', "sab") == 3);
>> ----
>>   */
>> uint startsWith(alias pred = "a == b", Range, Ranges...)
>> (Range doesThisStart, Ranges withOneOfThese);
>> =======================
>>
>> I also defined recently:
>>
>> =======================
>> /**
>> If $(D startsWith(r1, r2)), consume the corresponding elements off $(D
>> r1) and return $(D true). Otherwise, leave $(D r1) unchanged and
>> return $(D false).
>>   */
>> bool startsWithConsume(R1, R2)(ref R1 r1, R2 r2);
>> =======================
>>
>> There are a few other functions like that: one version takes a range 
>> by value, the other takes it by reference and alters it.
>>
>> The question is, what is a good naming convention for expressing that? 
>> Other examples: findConsume, consumeFind.
> 
> Instead of "startsWithConsume" you could use "consumePrefix" which 
> sounds better. You could change "startsWith" to "hasPrefix" too to keep 
> things consistent, even though "startsWith" isn't a bad name in itself.

But how about others? What is the overall convention? Also don't forget 
that many other languages have startsWith. I don't find hasPrefix 
terribly informative. a.hasAsPrefix(b) would be more like it, but then 
again Yigal's fantastic consistent naming scheme remains elusive.

Andrei