[Python-Dev] [PATCH] Adding braces to __future__

[Cedric Sodhi]

On Fri, Dec 09, 2011 at 01:11:29PM -0800, Mike Meyer wrote:
> On Fri, 9 Dec 2011 21:26:29 +0100
> Cedric Sodhi <manday at gmx.net> wrote:
> > Readable code, is it really an advantage?
> > Of course it is.
> 
> Ok, you got that right.

Thank you. It doesn't go unnoticed that you learned your Feedback Rules.
> 
> > Forcing the programmer to write readable code, is that an advantage?
> > No suspense, the answer is Of course not.
> 
> This is *not* an "Of course". Readable code is *important*. Giving
> programmers more power in exchange for less readable code is a bad
> trade.  For an extended analsysis, see:
> http://blog.mired.org/2011/10/more-power-is-not-always-good-thing.html

And here is the catch. The typical ignoratio elenchi which is frequently
put forward by those who want to depict WSB as a neccessity, as a social
contract à Locke for the Python community, by which they oblidge
themselves to write readable code.

The fallacy is trivial, though, and even further supported by evidence
presented by reality. Indeed, you pretty much serve the comeback on a
silver plate:

"Power in exchange for less readable code"

There is no such exchange.

Instead of further elaborating on why I say that, I leave it to you and
possible others readers to recognize the fallacy as a whole.

Rather, let me support the argument by the apparent evidence which I
already emphasized in the introductory script:

Not a single language in the FOSS community suffers from a lack of
proper indention. The propagated fear of unreadable code is unjustified.
That article you linked also completely ignores that.

kind regards,
Cedric