[Python-ideas] Decorator syntax restriction

[Daniel Fetchinson]

>> What makes you think that if something is 'more verbose' it is 'less
>> pythonic'? I actually like the fact that python doesn't try condensing
>> everything into one-liners and special symbols.
>
> Agreed. Readability, not succinctness, is what's pythonic. Being
> succinct usually - but not always - improves readability.
>
>> I never really understood this need for being not verbose, but it does
>> periodically come up on this list (and pretty much on every other
>> programming list). Your fingers get tired? It takes too long to read
>> an extra line? You are running out of space on your harddrive? It
>> takes too long to transfer the source file over the network because of
>> the extra line?
>>
>> Honestly, why do some people set for themselves the goal of "let's
>> have as few characters in a source file as possible"?
>
> Paul Graham (generally a very sharp guy) summarizes most of the
> reasons in http://www.paulgraham.com/power.html.

Thanks, this answers my question why people think this way. Although
I'm still totally convinced that guys like Paul Graham, or anybody
else who believes in shorter code, are misguided.

> I provide my attempt at a counterargument in
> http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/papers/readability.html.

Yep, I more-or-less agree with you.

Cheers,
Daniel


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