<p>I sympathize; for example, in my class schedule spreadsheets sometimes I've put thought into abbreviations for the column headers so I'm not wasting unnecessary space on the sheet/page. </p>

<p>I do assign projects out of our textbook, and so I try to echo whatever term the book uses; this may vary from course to course for me. Some common terms might be:</p>

<ul>
<li>Exercise (Ex.)</li>
<li>Homework (Hwk.)</li>
<li>Programming Challenge (PC)</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-25T22:53:11.857Z
2019-08-25T22:53:11.857Z
Daniel R. Collins
<p>Yes, <em>lab</em> is frequently used as a term to denote a medium size assignment. <em>Exercise</em> would be used for a shorter one, and <em>project</em> for something more extensive. </p>

<p>But the terminology isn't standardized so you can use your own terms, as long as the reader understands them. </p>

<p>But I'll also note, that just as in programming it isn't the <em>typing</em> that makes writing hard, so, IMO, abbreviations have limited utility and are often counterproductive. Written work is normally, and appropriately, a bit more formal than conversational work. This is due to the fact that the audience is wider and you don't know as much about it. So clarity over brevity should probably be valued. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-19T10:54:54.123Z
2019-08-19T10:54:54.123Z
Buffy
<p>I teach programming in french where we use the ambiguous names <code>labo</code> for <code>laboratoire == laboratory</code> or <code>tp</code> for <code>travail pratique == practical work</code>. In both way I can use the short notation <code>labo</code> or <code>tp</code>, but I would like to write my pratical works in english and I feel cumbersome to name each one <code>practical-work-00</code>... </p>

<p>I heard of <code>lab</code> which looks nice, but is it correct to use this term?</p>

<p>Is there a consensus or a short notation to refer to practical work assignments in computer science?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-20T11:55:45.820Z
Memory is cheap. Don't use abrivs. Reading abrivs is hard and ambiguous, even in your own language.
ctrl-alt-delor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-20T11:57:09.390Z
@ctrl-alt-delor, correct, the readability matters and when you `ls` and see too much information, it is better to use abrivs.
nowox
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-20T12:05:06.253Z
It depends on how familiar you are with the abbreviation. In England we use lab all the time, so much so that some may not know the long version. So as long as we are not also writing about dogs (Labradors), then all is well. Also use of a directory name in full can help: e.g. `Laboratory work/lab1-introduction to…`
ctrl-alt-delor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-20T12:06:04.137Z
@ctrl-alt-delor I totally agree with that :)
nowox
<labs>
Abreviation of practical work assignment?
# Abreviation of practical work assignment?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-19)

I teach programming in french where we use the ambiguous names `labo` for `laboratoire == laboratory` or `tp` for `travail pratique == practical work`. In both way I can use the short notation `labo` or `tp`, but I would like to write my pratical works in english and I feel cumbersome to name each one `practical-work-00`...

I heard of `lab` which looks nice, but is it correct to use this term?

Is there a consensus or a short notation to refer to practical work assignments in computer science?

**Tags:** labs

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Memory is cheap. Don't use abrivs. Reading abrivs is hard and ambiguous, even in your own language.  
> **username_0**: @username_1, correct, the readability matters and when you `ls` and see too much information, it is better to use abrivs.  
> **username_1**: It depends on how familiar you are with the abbreviation. In England we use lab all the time, so much so that some may not know the long version. So as long as we are not also writing about dogs (Labradors), then all is well. Also use of a directory name in full can help: e.g. `Laboratory work/lab1-introduction to…`  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I totally agree with that :)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-08-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Yes, *lab* is frequently used as a term to denote a medium size assignment. *Exercise* would be used for a shorter one, and *project* for something more extensive.

But the terminology isn't standardized so you can use your own terms, as long as the reader understands them.

But I'll also note, that just as in programming it isn't the *typing* that makes writing hard, so, IMO, abbreviations have limited utility and are often counterproductive. Written work is normally, and appropriately, a bit more formal than conversational work. This is due to the fact that the audience is wider and you don't know as much about it. So clarity over brevity should probably be valued.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-08-25. Score: 1

I sympathize; for example, in my class schedule spreadsheets sometimes I've put thought into abbreviations for the column headers so I'm not wasting unnecessary space on the sheet/page.

I do assign projects out of our textbook, and so I try to echo whatever term the book uses; this may vary from course to course for me. Some common terms might be:

* Exercise (Ex.)
* Homework (Hwk.)
* Programming Challenge (PC)


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