> The GCC manual uses "cannot" in most places (280 lines) but there > are a few instances of "can't" (33 lines). > > The attached patch replaces the informal "can't" with the former > for consistency.
In my opinion, this is the wrong direction. Contractions are becoming more acceptable in even more formal writing and there's even a current US Supreme Court justice who uses them in her opinions. I certainly don't think it's worth a change to use "can't" throughout, but I'm not in favor of eliminating it either.
