[Python-Dev] Dash

[Guido van Rossum]

On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 11:46 AM, Serhiy Storchaka <storchaka at gmail.com> wrote:
> 18.07.13 20:48, Guido van Rossum написав(ла):
>
>> I believe there are only a few places where en-dashes should be used,
>> for most things you should use either em-dash or hyphen. Consult your
>> trusted typography source (for US English, please, punctuation
>> preferences vary by locale). E.g. Google for "em dash en dash".
>
>
> Currently Python documentation in most cases uses en-dashes. Should we
> replace them to em-dashes? Should we remove spaces around dashes?

This may well be a relic from times when in typewritten text there
were really only two types of dashes: a short one, typed as a hyphen,
used for both hyphen and en-dash (and minus sign), and a long one,
typed as two hyphens, used for em-dash.

I suspect at some point the conversion to HTML or typeset text changed
so that two hyphens mean en-dash and three mean em-dash, and few
people noticed (and nobody really wants to type three hyphens except
for a handful of typographical nuts).

> Or we should replace a half-dozen of em-dashes found in Python documentation
> to en-dashes?

If my theory is right that makes sense. Especially if it's only a half-dozen.

> I believe all hypens used in place of dash should be replaced to dash (but
> to en- or em- dash?) in any case.

But I wouldn't go change hundreds of hyphens -- chances are that you
get bored reviewing the scripted automation you're using and break a
few places. I'd say there are more important things to fix in the docs
(like writing better overviews for many modules and classes). If we
have a writing guide for the Python docs it would be useful to add
something about dash types though. And if we don't have a writing
guide, perhaps it makes sense to start one?

-- 
--Guido van Rossum (python.org/~guido)