Is it best to use height or length associated to width for describing a 2D object?

Solution 1:

Width × Height is standard for programming and markup languages, which is probably why you found it in your Adobe software. Examples include:

HTML img and Canvas

CSS

Java Rectangle

C++ Rectangle (example — not intrinsic, have seen people use length)

C# graphics (Microsoft’s description of functions)

Python graphics (example library — not intrinsic)

That doesn’t mean length is wrong in other contexts; it just shows that in a field where you have to stick to one or the other, height is generally used.

Solution 2:

I think this is a matter of understanding the orientation of the view you are drawing.

When you are drawing a Plan View, (as if looking down on the object from above) you can only see how long and how wide the object is, the height doesn’t show, so you can’t draw it.

If you are drawing an Elevation or Side View you can only see how wide and how high the object is, so you can’t draw the length.

So the difference in software is likely to depend on how the developers conceived it would mainly be used.