Case-sensitivity: why -- or why not? (was Re: Damnation!)

[Martijn Faassen]

Andrew Henshaw <andrew.henshaw at gtri.gatech.edu> wrote:
> Ben Cornett  wrote:
>>
>>this IS An exAmple oF WHat I meaNt WHEn I SAid "vOtIng DoesN'T HElP".
>>
> ...snip...
> The interesting thing about this is that I could read it.  A case-insensitive
> compiler couldn't handle a single case flip.  That's why I don't understand
> the argument that (English-speaking) humans are case sensitive.  In general
> we're not.  We prefer that everyone follow case-usage rules, but we don't
> require it.  In my opinion, that's the way programming should work.  I would
> like to read a program that followed case usage for readability; but, I
> don't want an interpreter to barf when case is ignored.  

if 1:
    print "This is "
   print "incorrectly indented"
     print "code"

Now let's paraphrase:

"The interesting this about this is that I could read it. A indentation
based compiler couldn't handle a single indentation misalignment. That's why
I don't understand the argument that humans are indentation sensitive. In
general we're not. We prefer that everyone follow indentation-usage rules,
but we don't require it. In my opinion, that's the way programming should work.
I would like to read a program that followed indentation usage for readability;
but, I do'nt want an interpreter to barf when indentation is ignored."

Do you, or do you not, think about Python's indentation system this way?

Regards,

Martijn
-- 
History of the 20th Century: WW1, WW2, WW3?
No, WWW -- Could we be going in the right direction?