[Python-ideas] Addition to the Zen of python

[Yuvgoog Greenle]

From Merriam-Webster's - obvious - easily discovered, seen, or understood.

So I think obvious might imply "not astonishing".

On Sat, Oct 3, 2009 at 2:50 AM, Mike Meyer
<mwm-keyword-python.b4bdba at mired.org> wrote:
>
> On Fri, 2 Oct 2009 13:18:03 +0100
> Paul Moore <p.f.moore at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I'm not sure there is a corresponding design principle within Python
> > that all constructs should be fully general (which is basically the
> > principle you're appealing to). I can't immediately find
> > counterexamples, though, so there may be a point there. But certainly,
> > I'd say that such a principle (if it exists) isn't as well-established
> > as the "no line noise" one (witness comments like "if you want Perl,
> > you know where to get it"...)
>
> This principle is know in Unix circles as "POLA" - the "Principle Of
> Least Astonishment".
>
> I think it's an important part of what makes Python Python - when you
> do something that seems obvious, it very seldom astonishes you. I'm
> not sure why Tim didn't include it in the Zen; my gut says that it's
> because this is an even more fundamental part of the landscape than
> most of the things on the list, so he overlooked it, but I'd rather he
> speaks for himself.
>
> So I propose amending the Zen of Python (as from "import this") to
> include it, as so:
>
>
> Beautiful is better than ugly.
> Explicit is better than implicit.
> Simple is better than complex.
> Complex is better than complicated.
> Flat is better than nested.
> Sparse is better than dense.
> Readability counts.
> Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules.
> Although practicality beats purity.
> Errors should never pass silently.
> Unless explicitly silenced.
> In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess.
> There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it.
> Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch.
> The obvious way should not produce astonishing results.
> Now is better than never.
> Although never is often better than *right* now.
> If the implementation is hard to explain, it's a bad idea.
> If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a good idea.
> Namespaces are one honking great idea -- let's do more of those!
>
>   <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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