How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item, not two

Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by pbhjpbhj on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @12:27PM (#18708457)

Well, what is it?

I imagine lists with post-specifiers are near impossible to parse too:

    Coffee, instant
    Custard, powdered
    Sugar

Bit contrived, but still.

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Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by chrisfosterelli on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @03:15PM (#18710135)

I see your point for longer lists, but most humans would correctly interpret "Hey, add coffee cream to my shopping list" as one item rather than two.

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Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by orf on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @03:46PM (#18710375)

Assuming most cultures have "coffee cream" in their common vernacular seems risky. I've never heard of it.

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Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by pbhjpbhj on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @04:17PM (#18710665)

This. I'd assume it's like "creamer" which is a fake milk substitute from USA I think? But, it could be coffee flavoured cream; or "coffee creams" which are biscuits in the UK, or maybe some sort of confection?

Yeah, I should just look it up ...

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Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by chrisfosterelli on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @05:06PM (#18711032)

"coffee cream" AKA "half and half" in much of the US or "half cream" in the UK

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Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by pbhjpbhj on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @05:55PM (#18711381)

I (native UK) have never heard of "half cream", is that like "single cream"?

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Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by chc on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @06:07PM (#18711453)

Half cream is less than single cream. AFAIK single cream has half the milkfat of whipping cream, while half-and-half/half cream has about 1/3.

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Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by 01100011 on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @01:06PM (#18708868)

That seems easy. Keep a pointer to the last item, and if you encounter a 'modifier', modify it.

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Re:How Alexa knows “peanut butter” is one shopping-list item... by Vendan on Tuesday December 18, 2018 @03:01PM (#18710007)

yeah, but which way? `Add custard powdered sugar to my shopping list` is is powdered custard, or powdered sugar?

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