[Python-ideas] Objectively Quantifying Readability

[Matt Arcidy]

The number and type of arguments about readability as a justification,
or an opinion, or an opinion about an opinion seems counter-productive
to reaching conclusions efficiently.  I think they are very important
either way, but the justifications used are not rich enough in
information to be very useful.

A study has been done regarding readability in code which may serve as
insight into this issue. Please see page 8, fig 9 for a nice chart of
the results, note the negative/positive coloring of the correlations,
grey/black respectively.

https://web.eecs.umich.edu/~weimerw/p/weimer-tse2010-readability-preprint.pdf

The criteria in the paper can be applied to assess an increase or
decrease in readability between current and proposed changes.  Perhaps
even an automated tool could be implemented based on agreed upon
criteria.

Opinions about readability can be shifted from:
 - "Is it more or less readable?"
to
 - "This change exceeds a tolerance for levels of readability given
the scope of the change."

Still need to argue "exceeds ...given" and "tolerance", but at least
the readability score exists, and perhaps over time there will be
consensus.

Note this is an attempt to impact rhetoric in PEP (or other)
discussions, not about  supporting a particular PEP.  Please consider
this food for thought to increase the efficacy and efficiency of PEP
discussions, not as commenting on any specific current discussion,
which of course is the motivating factor of sending this email today.

I think using python implicitly accepts readability being partially
measurable, even if the resolution of current measure is too low to
capture the changes currently being discussed.  Perhaps using this
criteria can increase that resolution.

Thank you,
- Matt