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This issue came while running a script that requires a yes or no response before proceeding. Does the capitalization of the y and n usually matter?

In this example...

$copy_package some_package
File X is missing...
Do you want to continue ? (y/N)

I, as a user, expect that N is the recommended answer since it's capitalized (and because a file is missing), and y is not recommended since it's lower-case.

Note - This question isn't about what this actually means in regards the code, but whether or not the act of capitalization itself in this manner intentionally acts as a recommendation for which option to take.

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  • As it stands, this question should better be moved to unix.stackexchange.com – unor Jun 4 '13 at 20:09
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    I think this belongs on ux.se. The question title relates to a UX issue. I'll amend the wording so that it removes some of the confusion, but as a concept it is 'does capitalizing a letter act as a recommended option'. With scripting you have such a limited UI that there's not much else you can do to give emphasis to elements. – JonW♦ Jun 4 '13 at 21:01
12

Usually the option in capitals is the default. The default will be used if Enter is pressed.

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  • I had no idea this was the case. Mysterious are the ways of the command console... – Dvir Adler Jun 3 '13 at 11:18

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