Everything good about Python except GUI IDE?

[Ben Finney]

Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info> writes:

> Changing line endings is neither a structural nor a semantic change to
> the content of the file. It's effectively metadata, not data.

Hmm. Unlike other examples you give (like filesystem permissions on the
file) the line endings *are* content in the file. You may say they're
metadata, and maybe there's a case for that; I think that doesn't stop
line endings in the file from being content — and changes to those are
changes to content.

I'd say “what line ending style is in use” is closer to the information
about text encoding. Yes, it is metadata; it is *also* content, because
a change to the text encoding must be reflected as a change to the
file's content. The same is not true for (e.g.) filesystem permissions.

I would say that a change to the text encoding in the file should be
reflected as a change to the file content, and presented as such by the
VCS. Do you agree?

Whatever your answer to that, I would be interested to know whether you
think the answer should be different for line ending changes.

> Who is the boss here? The user of the tool, or the tool?

We are unfortunately a slave to decisions made long in the past, to
record some metadata – line endings, text encoding – as in-band content
rather than out-of-band pure metadata. The VCS must, IMO, be at least
aware that the content has changed when those in-band data change.

-- 
 \        “Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the |
  `\                     hours of 9 and 11 a.m. daily.” —hotel, Athens |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney