[Python-ideas] Decorator syntax restriction

[Mike Meyer]

On Sun, 6 Sep 2009 12:30:34 -0700
Daniel Fetchinson <fetchinson at googlemail.com> wrote:
> What makes you think that if something is 'more verbose' it is 'less
> pythonic'? I actually like the fact that python doesn't try condensing
> everything into one-liners and special symbols.

Agreed. Readability, not succinctness, is what's pythonic. Being
succinct usually - but not always - improves readability.

> I never really understood this need for being not verbose, but it does
> periodically come up on this list (and pretty much on every other
> programming list). Your fingers get tired? It takes too long to read
> an extra line? You are running out of space on your harddrive? It
> takes too long to transfer the source file over the network because of
> the extra line?
> 
> Honestly, why do some people set for themselves the goal of "let's
> have as few characters in a source file as possible"?

Paul Graham (generally a very sharp guy) summarizes most of the
reasons in http://www.paulgraham.com/power.html. I provide my attempt
at a counterargument in
http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/papers/readability.html.

   <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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