the 3rd party software

[RealCat]

Hello.

In a document written by a Korean, I have found a phrase: the 3rd
party software. However, I think I have never seen "third" of "third
party" written as "3rd". I would like to hear your oppinions on these
three spells. ("3rd party" is not a proper noun)

1)the 3rd party software
2)the third party software
3)the third-party software

[John Seal]

Post by RealCat
Hello.
In a document written by a Korean, I have found a phrase: the 3rd
party software. However, I think I have never seen "third" of "third
party" written as "3rd". I would like to hear your oppinions on these
three spells. ("3rd party" is not a proper noun)
1)the 3rd party software
2)the third party software
3)the third-party software

As a software engineer whose native language is English, I would write it as

4) the 3rd-party software

While I routinely write the phrase "3rd-party software", I don't recall ever
writing "the 3rd-party software", although I can imagine situations when it
would be appropriate. If I were referring to a specific instance of
3rd-party software, I'd write "the <name> software" to make the reference
explicit. Only if I needed to refer to multiple instances of 3rd-party
software as a class (distinct from software furnished to me by the customer,
or software that I wrote) would I use the definite article.

On second thought, if my employer had a policy that required spelling out
the number, I'd probably do it. On third thought, they *do* have a policy
against using the serial comma, which I routinely ignore.

[Mark Brader]

Post by John Seal

Post by RealCat
1)the 3rd party software
2)the third party software
3)the third-party software

As a software engineer whose native language is English, I would write it as
4) the 3rd-party software

The hyphen is required, although there are people these days who don't seem
to use them at all. I would consider "3rd" as an abbreviation for "third",
and I don't think this expression is a good place to use an abbreviation,
but that is a stylistic choice. So I prefer #3, but #4 is acceptable.

[Maria Conlon]

Post by John Seal
On second thought, if my employer had a policy that required spelling
out the number, I'd probably do it. On third thought, they *do* have
a policy against using the serial comma, which I routinely ignore.

Good for you.

[Don Phillipson]

Post by RealCat
In a document written by a Korean, I have found a phrase: the 3rd
party software. However, I think I have never seen "third" of "third
party" written as "3rd". I would like to hear your oppinions on these
three spells. ("3rd party" is not a proper noun)
1)the 3rd party software
2)the third party software
3)the third-party software

1. So far as language is concerned, the choice between
alternative methods of writinng (third, 3d, 3rd and so on) is
a convention of style -- so may be determined by a style
manual or (if no manual has been adopted) by personal
preference.

2. This use of first/second/third party is jargon from
contract law (used to shorten the text of contracts specifying
obligations of vendors, buyers, mortgage lenders, title
insurance companies and so on.) When discussing software,
this usage is borrowed or metaphorical. The fundamental
question is whether the usage is functional (viz. shortens
text in order to specify obligations) or merely decorative.

In the examples above, case 3 is best, correctly joining
third-party (used as a single adjective) by a hyphen.