How to pronounce abbreviations by prefix part?

Question

For example, how to pronounce the following:

dir (directory), deer or /də:/?
char (character), /kær/ or /tʃa:r/?
def (define), deff or diff?
mic (microphone), mik or mike?
var (variable), vaar or /vɛə/ or /və/?
bin (binary), binn or bine?
lic (license), lick, like, liss, lice?
dat (data), datt or date?
loc (location), lokk or /lək/?

etc. and the general form?

Answer 1

dir = would say "directory"

char = /tʃa:r/

def = deff

mic = always MIKE

var = vaar

bin = binn

lic = would say "license"

dat = datt

loc = would

say "location"

since lokk would mean lock

Answer 2

Outside of programming:

You generally don't pronounce these abbreviations, you would say the word they're abbreviating (that'd be like saying "Lol" in real life -- yes, people do this and I find it silly and awkward-sounding). Do people really say things like "dir" and "deff"?

Microphone is the exception here. The word is often abbreviated as "mic" on mixing boards, for space reasons, and it stuck. The mic/mike thing can be argued endlessly (and sometimes is).

("Open mike tonight" sounds to me like there'll be a guy named Mike whose body has velcro closures keeping his abdomen closed.)

Answer 3

Just for "char" alone, I find "care", "car", "char", and even "shar" on the internet. Maybe we should ask Dennis Ritchie?

Answer 4

I wouldn't pronounce a lot of these to people normally, but when I see these abbreviations, I do pronounce a lot of them in my head. I note either idea inline.

dir  /dɪɹ/ 
char /tʃaɹ/
def  /dɛf/
mic  /majk/
var  /vaɹ/ — rhymes with char
bin  /bɪn/
lic  don't pronounce in isolation
dat  don't pronounce in isolation
loc  /louk/