allow line break at operators

Seebs usenet-nospam at seebs.net
Thu Aug 11 17:19:18 EDT 2011


On 2011-08-11, Ben Finney <ben+python at benfinney.id.au> wrote:
> What evidence do you have of these? The latter, especially, seems to be
> mere opinion unfounded in any measurement.

Well, on new collection of data, I'm less convinced.

The basic rule is:

Engineers are nearly always aware of tradeoffs.  If I suddenly encounter
something where many engineers perceive a tradeoff, and a few deny that
there is any tradeoff at all, that usually means that the latter category
are not actually doing the engineering thing.

> Again, I don't know where you've been observing that, but it's not what
> I've seen.

I've seen it some here, and in other Python discussion threads.  I've also
seen counterexamples, though, more now that I brought it up.

> You're welcome to attempt to demonstrate the superiority of some other
> Python-with-braces, but it will (a) be un-Pythonic, and (b) be unlikely
> to gain the efforts of people who don't think what you're addressing is
> a problem.

I have noticed a tendency for "Pythonic" to produce fierce debates in
which there is absolutely nothing measurable to point to.  I'm not sold
on it.

I guess the thing is this:

I am pretty sure Python is a pretty nice language.  However, the indentation
thing has screwed me a few times.  Furthermore, I know people who like Python
a great deal and acknowledge, without much difficulty, that the indentation
thing has caused problems or incompatibilities for them.

So when I see people deny that it is at all a problem, or that there are
any possible shortcomings to it, I infer that they have some compelling
reason to deny the existence of a thing which is reliably and easily observed.

See, that's the thing.  If you want to tell me that there are problems with
braces, I'll *agree*.  I am aware of those problems.  I don't feel a need to
deny that they exist.

-s
-- 
Copyright 2011, all wrongs reversed.  Peter Seebach / usenet-nospam at seebs.net
http://www.seebs.net/log/ <-- lawsuits, religion, and funny pictures
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I am not speaking for my employer, although they do rent some of my opinions.



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