Melanie Richards
In your opinion, what is the difference between a corner case and an edge case?
Corner case is rarer
26%
Edge case is rarer
13.7%
No difference, I use both terms
12.3%
No difference, I use one term
47.9%
Poll ended at .
Feb 8, 2023 at 7:23pmWeb
Show threadChris BurgessFeb 8, 2023

@melanie I was quite "angry in geometry" at the poll results until realising there's two potential readings of this phrasing:

"Comparing the terms 'corner case' and 'edge case', which indicates a rarer case?"

"Which of the terms 'corner case' and 'edge case' is more common in usage to you?"

Show threadChris BurgessFeb 8, 2023
@melanie this could also be me flatly rejecting the popular vote 😆
Show threadChris BurgessFeb 8, 2023
@melanie and trying to be empathetic by reworking it in my head, so all those wrong people are just mistaken
Show threadMelanie RichardsFeb 8, 2023
@xurizaemon oh no, you’re totally right! lol
Show threadChris BurgessFeb 8, 2023
@melanie let's sell these numbers on the black market and make some more
Show threadAmelia Bellamy-RoydsFeb 8, 2023
@melanie A corner case is the intersection of two edge cases? 🤔
Show threadKyleFeb 8, 2023
@AmeliaBR @melanie precisely this, imho
(I also like wedge case as a contraction of weird edge case...)
Show threadMatt WilcoxFeb 8, 2023

@melanie In my understanding:

- An edge case is where one unlikely condition is encountered.
- A corner case is where more than one unlikely condition is encountered.

Show threadOliverFeb 8, 2023
@mattwilcox @melanie Not sure about this: I’ve only ever heard the terms used interchangeably, dependent on language:
Native English-speaker: Edge
Non-native English-speaker: Corner
Show threadMatt WilcoxFeb 8, 2023
@oliverturner It's common to use them interchangeably - but they're not (originally) the same thing. Language evolves, and wears away useful distinctions... "Could care less" is plain wrong, a mis-speaking. But now its accepted to mean the opposite of its literal meaning. etc. (That phrase does scream "American talking" though) @melanie
Show threadDan RobertsonFeb 8, 2023
@melanie I take the term “corner case” to mean someone has hit the intersection of two edge cases. e.g. they’re paying with an expired credit card AND an item in their cart has gone out of stock before they finish checking out. That corner-case intersection is more rare than either of those individual edge cases by itself.