What's the origin of "comps"?
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So when you're developing a new user interface, the first thing you get is some comps which give an idea of what it should look like. I've been coding to comps my entire career, and it just now occurred to me (while writing up development methodology for this group) that I have no idea what the origin of the term "comps" is.
Dictionary says it's short for "composite", so I assume it originally referred to a "composite image", presumably composited by assembling cut-outs (or, when paint programs came in use, dragging shapes from a palette) of UI elements to arrange?
Anybody have a better history? Is my assumption way off base?
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This is the first time I've ever heard the term used in that context.
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@masonwheeler said in What's the origin of "comps"?:
This is the first time I've ever heard the term used in that context.Me too
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I've only heard in terms of "comparables" (like real estate). Never in terms of software...
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Sigh.
Here's a small selection of articles that use the term "comps" in this way:
http://designforuse.net/uncategorized/high-fidelity-from-wireframes-to-comps/
General Programming & Web Design Articles - dummies
How do you customize a PHP server? What is an integrated development environment? Find these and other scattered coding details here.
Why is Salesforce's UX so bad?
Answer (1 of 5): The UX is certainly far more complicated, and less intuitive, than a typical simpler SaaS application from the past X years. The first time I used SFDC as a customer, it did seem daunting. However, calling it "bad" would be missing some key points. In fact, it is some of the bes...
Sorry I didn't realize I apparently have to justify my questions now.
EDIT: the Dummies Mobile UX page linked up there says "comps" stands for "comparables", so maybe my assumption is wrong. Someone must know the origin of this term.
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@blakeyrat said in What's the origin of "comps"?:
get is some comps
Compositions? Haven't heard the term used like that.
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@tsaukpaetra said in What's the origin of "comps"?:
Compositions? Haven't heard the term used like that.
Ok yes, look, if you do not know the answer to the question, please stop replying. This is Coding Help, not "spam up a thread with 'me too' posts." I get it, the term is not as common as I thought, fine. It's still a valid question.
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@blakeyrat said in What's the origin of "comps"?:
This is Coding Help, not "spam up a thread with 'me too' posts."
@paulabean said in About the Coding Help category:
Coding Help: The one place you would really hope not to get a "WTF" solution to your problem
Please state the nature of your coding emergency.
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I don't know the answer to your question, either, but your original hypothesis seems the most likely to me; it's what I thought of as I was reading your question.
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I've been in a couple jobs where comps was used for what you describe.
I thought it was composite or something else, but after looking into it a few years ago out of curiosity, I discovered it stands for Comprehensive Layout.
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@the_quiet_one Thanks. I guess Wiki does have it on the "disambiguation page" but I kind of skipped past it while looking this up before.
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My gut feeling is that it comes from composition (routinely abbreviated to comp), via the print document world.
Possibly via the insane Display PostScript rendering engine thing that NeXTstep and some Unices used.
Incidentally, OSX uses PDF rendering in it's window server. Which is actually more insane.
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@weng said in What's the origin of "comps"?:
Incidentally, OSX uses PDF rendering in it's window server. Which is actually more insane.
Unless it's changed, it uses "Display Postscript" which is a very small subset of full Postscript (which is itself a subset of PDF).
Full Postscript is Turing-complete, and not even via. using weird hacks (like embedding JS in a PDF). You can find tiny Postscript files that instruct printers to print out, for example, fractals. The file just contains the algorithm, and the tiny CPU in the printer has to do all the math.
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@blakeyrat
Trust me, I know unspeakable amounts about PostScript.I used to write it by hand. Now I write things that write it (along with PDFs). A certain company with two X's in their name once had a patent fight over a PS library I am now steward of (they ripped us off, not the other way around).
Allegedly, OSX never shipped with DisplayPS, but with a PDF variant. This is for licensing reasons, as PDF is "free and open" but Adobe still tries to extort money for PostScript in certain situations.
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@weng Yeah well you edited your post after I replied, whatever. Why are you talking about this here anyway?
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@blakeyrat
It beats working.And if for some godforsaken reason you want to know more, it could spin off a discussion that lets me waste my entire afternoon.
Comprehensive layout - Wikipedia
