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I noticed the capitalization within sentences. For example,

Great experience in Java, Android SDK with core knowledge of Object Oriented Programming principles and Design Patterns.

Is there a grammar rule explaining the capitalization?

Update #1.

Now we have the following opinions.

@Jim and @Sweet72

They're all proper names of things.

The names of Proper nouns always begin with capital letters. Java, Android SDK, Object Oriented Programming, Design patterns ; all refer to proper nouns

@Xerxes

Neither "object-oriented programming" nor "design patterns" is a proper noun. The author of the piece merely means to emphasize these terms and does not know how to correctly do so.

My opinion

Android SDK and Java are proper names.

Object Oriented Programming, Design Patterns. I think employers just want to place emphasis on these key words. I may be wrong.

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  • 3
    They're all proper names of things.
    – Jim
    Commented Sep 7, 2013 at 18:24
  • @Jim, I wish I could vote for your comment. Thanks.
    – Maksim Dmitriev
    Commented Sep 7, 2013 at 18:33
  • @Jim : how it would be instead of writing answer in comment . You mention directly in the space given for the answer.
    – Sweet72
    Commented Sep 7, 2013 at 20:24
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    Is there a grammar rule explaining the capitalization? No there's not!
    – dcaswell
    Commented Sep 8, 2013 at 7:50
  • 4
    There can be no grammar rule explaining the capitalization, because capitalization is orthography, not grammar. ThiS SEnteNCE is Grammatically iMpeccabLE.
    – RegDwigнt
    Commented Sep 8, 2013 at 12:23

1 Answer 1

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As far as Java and Android SDK are concerned, they're proper nouns.

Object-oriented programming is often written as OOP. Perhaps the author of the sentence thought it should be capitalised because the abbreviated form OOP has capitalised letters. The proper way of writing it would be 'object-oriented programming', since it is in the middle of a sentence.

Design patterns should not have capitalised letters - it isn't a proper noun, neither does it have an abbreviation; the author may have capitalised it for emphasis. Or he just isn't familiar with the rules of this language that well!

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  • You're exactly right. You can look at the job ads here and very few have errant capitalization: careers.stackoverflow.com/jobs/tag/description The Computer industry has a huge number of people from overseas who may not know all the fine points of English grammar. Even people born here often have major problems.
    – dcaswell
    Commented Sep 8, 2013 at 7:49
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    Yes, that's what I thought. :) It isn't necessary that the person who wrote this is an English expert. He may have written "I Looking for great person"; that doesn't mean there are rules supporting what he's written. cc: @RedPlanet :)
    – mikhailcazi
    Commented Sep 8, 2013 at 7:59
  • Design Patterns was originally the title of a book, but it isn't usually referred to like that. Plus it would need italics.
    – B. Szonye
    Commented Sep 8, 2013 at 8:12
  • @BraddSzonye I don't think the writer is referring to a book - he would have clarified it further. Plus 'design pattern' is a concept which is likely what the writer was referring to. Unless this is some really popular book I do not know about :)
    – mikhailcazi
    Commented Sep 8, 2013 at 8:17
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    I believe it's the book that originated the concept in software engineering – it was very popular when it was published in the 1990s. I agree, however, that it's not used as a proper noun here.
    – B. Szonye
    Commented Sep 8, 2013 at 19:43

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