Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!news.albasani.net!kilo.pond.sub.org!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.191
X-Spam-Level: *
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.62; '*S*': 0.00; 'pixel': 0.09; 'worse': 0.09; '"hello': 0.16; 'finney': 0.16; 'spacing': 0.16; 'sat,': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'written': 0.21; '>>>': 0.22; 'either.': 0.24; 'looks': 0.24; 'recognized': 0.26; 'gets': 0.27; 'header:In- Reply-To:1': 0.27; "doesn't": 0.30; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; "i'm": 0.30; 'code': 0.31; 'context.': 0.31; 'font': 0.31; 'writes:': 0.31; 'fri,': 0.33; 'could': 0.34; "can't": 0.35; 'something': 0.35; 'equal': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'next': 0.36; 'similar': 0.36; 'should': 0.36; 'wrong': 0.37; 'too': 0.37; 'subject:new': 0.38; 'ben': 0.38; 'depends': 0.38; 'window': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; 'does': 0.39; 'visual': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'enough': 0.39; 'read': 0.60; 'easy': 0.60; 'new': 0.61; 'our': 0.64; 'world': 0.66; 'mar': 0.68; 'as:': 0.81; '2015': 0.84; 'distinctive': 0.84; 'miss.': 0.84; 'visually': 0.84; 'subject:Proposal': 0.91; 'hand,': 0.93
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id:subject:to :content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=nqJ7OIiV3FsTgyh8SEhf7ww0NU7Mu8T0OKDBID4i+jQ=; b=zaOszQr780lJbZ8+rv6D9J8XQ30GBoGrMcnQOE/agmrzCM83XLNMO3l2/8yUUXsLKC AxjnfleJheIhVxUnhKM2mao8DsLU9lagDhfR6QfuVQreCSZneYMu3gvz6tirELQxPqxQ RPItDCeScijU43RA4oL57sxl0UiJoLhA/2/ziJvH6XDskFOvbypLZ2ObLppEkwDVvbSE g3lXDP8s77FOJoGO2Otd26Tt2eopQNy00NYWS9qhhtTlmaUQHKL/PF0CMAAOWusBKgzb 11n05O5CaJ2jDGKGDZ0JzXMymFsb6kpfhC7ckiefA4QvoWAmyCTlIGDid4S2BDP+fWHi wiFQ==
X-Received: by 10.68.233.198 with SMTP id ty6mr39711569pbc.36.1427504155034; Fri, 27 Mar 2015 17:55:55 -0700 (PDT)
MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <ptrbha1f8b7rgjoo3idtflpg3fsrtmvs9t@4ax.com>
References: <CAPauRLMMAT-OffHTYW6GPybAZzouc7H9BjrmvVQiSig0X3x+ig@mail.gmail.com> <mailman.282.1427499534.10327.python-list@python.org> <ptrbha1f8b7rgjoo3idtflpg3fsrtmvs9t@4ax.com>
From: Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2015 18:55:14 -0600
Subject: Re: Proposal for new minor syntax
To: Python <python-list@python.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.19
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.283.1427504164.10327.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 29
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1427504164 news.xs4all.nl 2829 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:40927
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:88194

On Fri, Mar 27, 2015 at 6:33 PM, Mario Figueiredo <marfig@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, 28 Mar 2015 10:39:04 +1100, Ben Finney
> <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> wrote:
>
>>Jamie Willis <jw14896.2014@my.bristol.ac.uk> writes:
>>
>>> This could be written as:
>>>
>>> hello =3D "hello world              "
>>> hello .=3D strip()
>>
>>?1, =E2=80=9C.=3D=E2=80=9D is visually too similar to =E2=80=9C=3D=E2=80=
=9D.
>
> can't be much worse than
>
>     hello =3D "hello world    ",
>
> I think the dot next to the equal sign makes it very distinctive. The
> equal sign is something we are so visually used to that any small
> deviation gets immediately recognized by our brain. I may be wrong on
> this assumption...

It depends somewhat on context. In the variable-width font that I'm
reading my email in, the dot looks like a single pixel and doesn't
create much visual spacing either. It would be very easy to miss. In a
terminal window with Courier New on the other hand, it does look
distinctive enough to be noticeable.  We should keep in mind though
that our code isn't always going to be read in Courier New.