What does "Sparse is better than dense" mean? (Python Zen)

[Alex Martelli]

James J. Besemer wrote:
        ...
>> Interestingly enough, I find I can live with everything that is
>> mandated in PEP 8 -- some recommendations are not my favorite ones,
>> but there's nothing really major in it that irks me.
> 
> It's hard to complain about a style guide that acknowledges up front that
> "A Foolish Consistency is the Hobgoblin of Little Minds" and that
> furthermore common sense may at times dictate breaking the rules.

Not hard at all -- PEP 7 does that too, yet every time I see
that construct...
        }
        else {
my blood still boils!-)

Further, PEP 7 is enforced for patches to Python -- sensibly, mind you,
as we wouldn't want Python's C sources to be a mixmax of styles -- but...


Alex