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Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness

From Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info>
Subject Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
References <mailman.2403.1350540402.27098.python-list@python.org>
Date 2012-10-18 06:31 +0000
Message-ID <507fa256$0$11093$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com> (permalink)
Organization Unlimited download news at news.astraweb.com

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On Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:06:19 -0400, Zero Piraeus wrote:

> What are people's preferred strategies for dealing with lines that go
> over 79 characters? A few I can think of off the bat:
> 
> 1. Say "screw it" and go past 79, PEP8 be damned.

I've been burnt enough by word-wrapping in editors that don't handle word-
wrapping that well that it makes me really uncomfortable to go over 78-79 
characters, even by only 1 extra. So I don't like doing this.

Just about the only time I go over is if I have a comment that includes a 
URL with more than 78 characters. I hate breaking URLs more than I hate 
breaking the 79 character limit.


> 2. Say "screw it" and break the line using a backslash.

Low on my preference list, but occasionally.


> 3. Say "well, at least it's not a backslash" and break the line using
> parentheses.

I mostly do this. Since most lines include a bracket of some sort, I 
rarely need to add outer parentheses just for the purpose of line 
continuation.

some_variable = spam('x') + ham(
                    some_longer_variables, here_and_here, 
                    and_here_also)

I know PEP 8 says I should drop the final round bracket to the next line, 
but I don't normally like that.


> 4. Spend 45 minutes trying to think up shorter [but still sensible]
> variable names to make it fit.

Ha! Since most of my variable names are already relatively short, that's 
not often much help.


> 5. Perform an otherwise pointless assignment to a temp variable on the
> previous line to make it fit.

Hardly ever.

You missed one:

5a. Perform an assignment to a temp variable that you really should have 
done anyway, but reducing the number of characters in the line was the 
impetus that finally made you act.


> 6. Realise that if it's that long, it probably shouldn't have been a
> list comprehension in the first place.

What if it wasn't a list comp in the first place? :)

Refactoring code makes most long lines go away on their own.



-- 
Steven

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Thread

A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Zero Piraeus <schesis@gmail.com> - 2012-10-18 02:06 -0400
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-18 06:31 +0000
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Hans Mulder <hansmu@xs4all.nl> - 2012-10-18 11:07 +0200
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2012-10-18 02:33 -0700
        Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2012-10-18 06:05 -0500
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-10-18 21:01 +1100
      RE: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness "Prasad, Ramit" <ramit.prasad@jpmorgan.com> - 2012-10-18 18:42 +0000
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2012-10-19 11:33 +1100
        Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2012-10-18 20:35 -0700
          Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-19 04:08 +0000
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Zero Piraeus <schesis@gmail.com> - 2012-10-18 06:31 -0400
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2012-10-17 23:55 -0700
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2012-10-17 23:56 -0700
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2012-10-18 13:16 +0000
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2012-10-19 11:39 +1100
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Den <patentsvnc@gmail.com> - 2012-10-18 08:55 -0700
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Neil Cerutti <neilc@norwich.edu> - 2012-10-18 16:13 +0000
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-10-19 03:21 +1100
      RE: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness "Prasad, Ramit" <ramit.prasad@jpmorgan.com> - 2012-10-18 18:51 +0000
    RE: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness "Prasad, Ramit" <ramit.prasad@jpmorgan.com> - 2012-10-18 18:50 +0000
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Zero Piraeus <schesis@gmail.com> - 2012-10-18 17:36 -0400
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-19 01:50 +0000
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Den <patentsvnc@gmail.com> - 2012-10-18 08:55 -0700
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2012-10-18 17:44 +0000
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Gene Heskett <gheskett@wdtv.com> - 2012-10-18 18:53 -0400
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Krzysztof Voss <shobbo@gmail.com> - 2012-10-19 15:16 -0700
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Krzysztof Voss <shobbo@gmail.com> - 2012-10-19 15:16 -0700

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