[Python-ideas] 80 character line width vs. something wider

[Mike Meyer]

On Mon, 25 May 2009 12:35:18 -0700
Aaron Rubin <aaron.rubin at 4dtechnology.com> wrote:

> OK.  Again, this thread appears dead to the OP, since it has been delving
> into subjectiveness for quite a while now.

Always a problem on those pesky interwebs :-).

> Remember that if Python is to remain a choice for future generations, its
> ability to be dynamic needs to remain.  Times change, tools change.
>  Languages must change as well.  Making Python a hospitable environment for
> future generations to contribute will be important.

And this is another example of topic drift. The OP wasn't suggesting a
change to Python, so a claim that it must change is pretty clearly off
topic.

One thing that those espousing such a change keep forgetting is that
the 79 character limit (it's not 80 - go read the PEP) isn't part of
the language. It's part of a style guideline that describes what the
community feels is a good style. Nothing actually forces anyone to
follow it. The standard library includes code that violates the PEP,
even in the public APIs (though the PEP-conforming variants have been
made available recently).

If you disagree with PEP 8, you're free to ignore all or part of it in
your code. That won't keep the code out of the standard library if
it's otherwise worthy and still readable.

     <mike
-- 
Mike Meyer <mwm at mired.org>		http://www.mired.org/consulting.html
Independent Network/Unix/Perforce consultant, email for more information.

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