[Python-ideas] 80 character line width vs. something wider

[Mike Meyer]

On Wed, 20 May 2009 17:44:54 -0700
Aaron Rubin <aaron.rubin at 4dtechnology.com> wrote:
> On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 4:02 PM, Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info>wrote:
> As time marches forward and email editors don't wrap (mine doesn't),

That makes your mail editor a throwback. Used to be, none of them
wrapped. Then an 800 lb gorilla of a company decided to ignore what
the RFCs said, and made their mailer act like there WP products and
wrap text. It's hard to find a modern mailer that doesn't wrap.

> printers are used less (which is already happening), etc. then standards for
> core libraries will probably change as well.

But PDAs and Netbooks are being used more and more.

> Either way, the style for coding within a non-standard library might want to
> be revisited much sooner.  In other words, programming to a standard which
> is common to all people who use it means you probably must accommodate the
> lowest common denominator.  This would not be true for anything but the
> standard library.

Um, I'd say it holds for pretty much every other open source project
done in Python, excepting those that are targeted for some specific
platform. I.e. - if you're writing scripts for a high-end CAD program,
then you get one set of assumptions about the working environment. But
if you're developing on and for N60, you get a completely different
set.

The problem is that on it's good days, this is a bikeshed issue. On
it's bad day out and out religious. Choosing to follow PEP-8 so as to
not waste time discussing it is a rational choice for any group
working in Python. It's certainly better than no standards at all!

       <mike
-- 
Mike Meyer <mwm at mired.org>		http://www.mired.org/consulting.html
Independent Network/Unix/Perforce consultant, email for more information.

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