[Python-ideas] gofmt for Python: standardized styling as a language feature

[Terry Reedy]

On 3/18/2015 12:52 PM, Nicholas Chammas wrote:

> I might be wrong, but I see PEP 8 as a living document.

PEP 8 is Guido's view on how new CPython stdlib code should be written, 
with input from other core developers.  "This document gives coding 
conventions for the Python code comprising the standard library in the 
main Python distribution."  It changes as he and we change our views. It 
is against Guido's policy to blindly change old stdlib code to follow 
PEP 8.  (Note that autoPEP8 only changes whitespace, which is a small 
part of PEP 8 recommendations, and the safest aspect of code to change.)

 > If the community
> believes parts of it are out of date, I would think it's better to
> update PEP 8 (or issue a replacement PEP) to reflect current thinking.

The 'community' is free to follow it or not, but not to change it. Other 
people and organizations have written their own style guides.  Good for 
them.

> If stuff is not part of PEP 8 that should be, or if parts of PEP 8 are
> agreed to be "wrong", then PEP 8 should be updated accordingly.

PEP 8 is by definition 'right' until Guido decides otherwise, with input 
from other core devs.

> I guess this is a separate discussion, but is there some way to offer
> users the advantages of having a library be included with Python without
> imposing the 2-year release cycle and additional burden on the library's
> developers?

Use pip.  It was added to make pypi (and other repositories) an 
easy-to-use extension of the stdlib, without imposing stdlib 
requirements and burdens.  We are working on making pip even easier to use.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy