[Tutor] Are you allowed to shoot camels? [kinda OT]

[Smith, Jeff]

I think the point is that different people are...different.  It probably
won't surprise you to find out that I am in the C camp that prefers your
second example.  I'm sure what those studies show is what the "majority"
find easier not what "everyone" finds easier.  Who knows, maybe it's a
left-brain, right-brain thing.  And it wouldn't be the first time I was
told my brain was "wired differently" from the general public.  Just ask
my wife :-)

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Gauld [mailto:alan.gauld at freenet.co.uk] 
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2005 5:47 PM
To: Smith, Jeff; Nicholas.Montpetit at deluxe.com
Cc: tutor at python.org; tutor-bounces at python.org
Subject: Re: [Tutor] Are you allowed to shoot camels? [kinda OT]


> I also disagree about the symbology.  I am never confused by it.

I'll believe you, but its interesting that computer scientists 
have done lots of studies to test people's comprehension of programs 
and in every single case there has been clear evidence that 
additional prefixes/characters etc obscure undestanding. Even 
by those who thought they were fluent in the language concerned.

Check the book Code Complete for some references, or try searching 
the Software Engineering Institute stuff at CMU.

Its like the old argument in C over whether

int f(){
   blah()
   }

or

int f()
{
   blah()
}

was clearer. Many people claim to prefer the second but 
objective testing repeatedly shows that the first form 
produces measurably better results.

In both of these cases its not about style its about what works. I
suspect Guido was aware of that research and applied it to 
Python's design. Larry wasn't and didn't... (although he sure 
is now! :-)

Alan G.