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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.
The text was updated successfully, but these errors were encountered:
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
changed the title
The term "restart" for run control could be renamed
The term "restart" is ambiguous across EGSnrc
Nov 3, 2024
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.
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.
The text was updated successfully, but these errors were encountered: