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

[Gerald Britton]

Why isn't the ideal line length the same as the answer to life, the
universe, and everything?

(if it were, I could read a line on my Blackberry without resorting to
2-point type)

On Thu, May 21, 2009 at 1:44 PM, Raymond Hettinger <python at rcn.com> wrote:
>
>> I consider that a critical clue that I should consider refaceoring.   Not
>> just the one long line, but the entire structure that resulted in  that deep
>> nesting.  After you get the class and method def in, each  level should
>> indicate a possible  control flow branch. So deeply  nested implies lots of
>> branches implies a complicated structure.   Which means it's time to
>> consider refactoring to simplify it.
>
> Okay, I'm convinced.  80 is EXACTLY the right number.  79 is
> too few and 81 is WAY over the top.  It doesn't matter what language your
> coding in, which century you're living in, or your
> preference for tab sizes.
>
> Looking back, I'm amazed that there was every any commercial
> success for line printers that had more than 80 characters.  Those
> guys who made green bar paper were seriously misguided.  How
> could they ignore the one true universal programming constant.
>
> Raymond
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-- 
Gerald Britton