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The term "restart" is ambiguous across EGSnrc #1210

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rtownson opened this issue Oct 31, 2024 · 1 comment · May be fixed by #1215
Open

The term "restart" is ambiguous across EGSnrc #1210

rtownson opened this issue Oct 31, 2024 · 1 comment · May be fixed by #1215

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@rtownson
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rtownson commented Oct 31, 2024

Setting the run control to restart a job is a misnomer — really we are resuming from the last batch. Restarting sounds like we are running it from the beginning. This has also been confused by new users with the idea of restarting a phase-space.

@rtownson rtownson added the bug label Oct 31, 2024
@ftessier ftessier self-assigned this Nov 3, 2024
@ftessier ftessier added this to the Release 2025 milestone Nov 3, 2024
ftessier added a commit that referenced this issue Nov 3, 2024
Address a long-standing semantic confusion in EGSnrc. The term "restart"
has been used ambiguously to describe resuming a simulation after an
interruption (e.g., a power failure). Use "resume" instead to accurately
reflect continuing from where the simulation left off. Restarting
conveys the idea that the simulation is starting over from the
beginning.
@ftessier ftessier changed the title The term "restart" for run control could be renamed The term "restart" is ambiguous across EGSnrc Nov 3, 2024
@ftessier
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ftessier commented Nov 3, 2024

I agree.

Terminology shapes understanding, especially for new users, and consistency always improves clarity. Currently, the term restart in EGSnrc is ambiguous, as it refers to three different actions:

  • Restarting a simulation after an interruption
  • Restarting a phase space file upon reaching its end
  • Restarting a process

To address this, I propose adopting more precise terminology:

  • Resume — continue a simulation after an interruption (as @rtownson suggested above)
  • Rewind — read a phase space file from the beginning, aligning with the programming concept of rewinding a file
  • Relaunch — for processes, consistent with the idea of launching a program or command

I recommend replacing all instances of restart across EGSnrc (in documentation, code comments, variable names, etc.) with these more specific terms. This change will make EGSnrc easier to interpret, particularly for new contributors, and will help eliminate useless ambiguity. To avoid confusion with previous terminology, the term restart should no longer be used.

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