[Python-ideas] AMEND PEP-8 TO DISCOURAGE ALL CAPS

[Abe Dillon]

> Is it that really obnoxious?

EXTREMELY!

>  Does using upper case for constants measurably slows down coders? Can
you cite the actual papers describing such experiments that lead to this
conclusion ?

https://www.mity.com.au/blog/writing-readable-content-and-why-all-caps-is-so-hard-to-read
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_caps#Readability
https://uxmovement.com/content/all-caps-hard-for-users-to-read/
https://practicaltypography.com/all-caps.html

> from my experience having a visual clue that a value is a constant or an
enum is something pretty useful.

Do you have any proof that it's useful? Have you ever been tempted to
modify math.pi or math.e simply because they're lower case? Have you ever
stopped to wonder if those values change?

If the socket library used packet_host, packet_broadcast, etc. instead of
PACKET_HOST, PACKET_BROADCAST, ETC. would you be confused about whether
it's a good idea to rebind those variables? Would you be tempted to write
the line of code: socket.packet_host = x?

It seems to me that nobody is actually considering what I'm actually
talking about very carefully. They just assume that because all caps is
used to convey information that information is actually important. Not just
important, but important enough that it should be in PEP-8. They say I
should just violate PEP-8 because it's not strictly enforced. It is
strictly enforced in workplaces. I don't see why it can't be the other way
around: PEP-8 doesn't say to use all caps, but if you want to it's OK.

> Surely, I'd hate reading a newspaper article where the editor generously
sprinkled upper case words everywhere

Exactly. If it's an eye-sore in every other medium, then it seems likely to
me, the only reason programmers don't consider it an eye-sore is they've
become inured to it.

> but analogies only go so far, reading code have some similarities with
reading prose, but still is not the same activity.

CAN you articulate what is DIFFERENT about READING code that makes the ALL
CAPS STYLE less offensive?

On Tue, Jan 29, 2019 at 6:09 PM Marcos Eliziario <marcos.eliziario at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Is it that really obnoxious? Does using upper case for constants
> measurably slows down coders? Can you cite the actual papers describing
> such experiments that lead to this conclusion ?
> Because, from my experience having a visual clue that a value is a
> constant or an enum is something pretty useful.
> Surely, I'd hate reading a newspaper article where the editor generously
> sprinkled upper case words everywhere, but analogies only go so far,
> reading code have some similarities with reading prose, but still is not
> the same activity.
>
> Best,
> Marcos Eliziario
>
>
>
> Em ter, 29 de jan de 2019 às 20:30, Cameron Simpson <cs at cskk.id.au>
> escreveu:
>
>> On 29Jan2019 15:44, Jamesie Pic <jpic at yourlabs.org> wrote:
>> >On Fri, Jan 4, 2019 at 10:07 PM Bernardo Sulzbach
>> ><bernardo at bernardosulzbach.com> wrote:
>> >> I'd suggest violating PEP-8 instead of trying to change it.
>> >
>> >TBH even my bash global environment variables tend to become more and
>> >more lowercase ...
>>
>> If you mean _exported_ variables, then this is actually a really bad
>> idea.
>>
>> The shell (sh, bash, ksh etc) makes no enforcement about naming for
>> exported vs unexported variables. And the exported namespace ($PATH etc)
>> is totally open ended, because any programme might expect arbitrary
>> optional exported names for easy tuning of defaults.
>>
>> So, you think, since I only use variables I intend and only export
>> variables I plan to, I can do what I like. Example script:
>>
>>   a=1
>>   b=2
>>   export b
>>
>> So $b is now exported to subcommands, but not $a.
>>
>> However: the "exported set" is initially the environment you inherit.
>> Which means:
>>
>> Any variable that _arrives_ in the environment is _already_ in the
>> exported set. So, another script:
>>
>>   a=1
>>   b=2
>>   # not exporting either
>>
>> If that gets called from the environment where you'd exported $b (eg
>> from the first script, which could easily be your ~/.profile or
>> ~/.bashrc), then $b gets _modified_ and _exported_ to subcommands, even
>> though you hadn't asked. Because it came in initially from the
>> environment.
>>
>> This means that you don't directly control what is local to the script
>> and what is exported (and thus can affect other scripts).
>>
>> The _only_ way to maintain sanity is the existing convention: local
>> script variables use lowercase names and exported variables use
>> UPPERCASE names. With that in hand, and cooperation from everyone else,
>> you have predictable and reliable behaviour. And you have a nice visual
>> distinction in your code because you know immediately (by convention)
>> whether a variable is exported or not.
>>
>> By exporting lowercase variables you violate this convention, and make
>> your script environment unsafe for others to use.
>>
>> Do many many example scripts on the web do the reverse: using UPPERCASE
>> names for local script variables? Yes they do, and they do a disservice
>> to everyone.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Cameron Simpson <cs at cskk.id.au>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Python-ideas mailing list
>> Python-ideas at python.org
>> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-ideas
>> Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/
>>
>
>
> --
> Marcos Eliziário Santos
> mobile/whatsapp/telegram: +55(21) 9-8027-0156
> skype: marcos.eliziario at gmail.com
> linked-in : https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliziario/
>
> _______________________________________________
> Python-ideas mailing list
> Python-ideas at python.org
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-ideas
> Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-ideas/attachments/20190130/09747dc1/attachment-0001.html>