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Re: Stricter Whitespace Enforcement
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Posted: Dec 2, 2005 6:05 PM
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I see quite clear, that a tool which can be configured to fit own needs and which can re-format 'alien' code exactly to the form defined in the own configuration file would be of great value. Adding restrictions of any kind instead is in my eyes the wrong way to go.
The main purpose of a programming language is from my narrow personal point of view to help the programmer to write programs. Imposing any restrictions is in my eyes counter productive if it does not help to save time and efforts during programming of _own_ projects.
Replacing this goal with the goal of _maybe_ helping the software engineer to manage large projects won't help much the individual programmer to put his own code together. So it is the question of philosophy behind the efforts to improve a programming language. Should it be a tool for the very smart individual working on achieving own programming goals or for a bulk of programmers managed by a chief programmer in some large projects? I consider it impossible, or at least very hard, to go for both goals at the same time.
Down to the personal and subject related details: If I had to use four spaces for indentation and can't spread code over multilines between brackets, then Python won't be for me as valuable as it is now. The only thing I would be happy about is to abandon tabs, just because they violate the WYSIWYG rule.
The intuitivly possible should be made possible. Well and wise designed helper tools should be added.
But dicussing of number of spaces for indentation or allowed before or after any other symbols is in my eyes waste of time or evidence, that the really cool ideas for further progress cease to drive the further development of Python.
Claudio
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