[Python-Dev] Python Style Sheets ? Re: User's complaints

[Josiah Carlson]

Boris Borcic <bborcic at gmail.com> wrote:
> Josiah Carlson wrote:
> > Invariably user X and Y would have different sets of changes that they
> > want to use.  Presumably, if the features were nontrivial, then they
> > would no longer be able to exchange code because it would have been
> > directed at a different 'version' of Python, whose syntax or semantics
> > were different.
> 
> Of course, and that's why in my initial post I was talking of transparent 
> reversible transforms and central control of "styles" through the standard.
> Means not to fall into the trap you describe. Or else I would have asked for 
> macros ! Are you implying that /no/ measure of language variability can be dealt 
> with by such means as standards-controlled reversible transforms ? I guess not.

Regardless of the existance of reversable transforms, a user's ability
to understand and/or maintain code is dependant on the syntax and
semantics of the language.  In allowing different language variants, one
is changing the user-understood meaning of a block of code, which
necessarily increses the burden of programming and maintenance.

 - Josiah