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From: Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au>
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Subject: Re: Guido sees the light: PEP 8 updated
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2016 08:58:44 +1000
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Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:107282

Pete Forman <petef4+usenet@gmail.com> writes:

> Why is it that Python continues to use a fixed width font

I think you know this isn't true.

> and therefore specifies the maximum line width as a character count?

and that this “therefore” is not justified by that.

You've seen elsewhere the justification for *having* a maximum line
width (primarily because of limits on human cognition of lines of text).

As for what the limit *is*, it's much better to have an easy-to-apply
and easy-to-measure rule, because consistent application is important
for such a guide.

Counting characters is objectively easy and easily comparable.

-- 
 \         “I think Western civilization is more enlightened precisely |
  `\     because we have learned how to ignore our religious leaders.” |
_o__)                                                —Bill Maher, 2003 |
Ben Finney