Re: I hate you all

From	Roy Smith <roy@panix.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Subject	Re: I hate you all
Date	2013-04-06 11:01 -0400
Organization	PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
Message-ID	<roy-79C37E.11010406042013@news.panix.com> (permalink)
References	(3 earlier) <mailman.165.1365201779.3114.python-list@python.org> <95b2bc1c-57a2-48c9-85ea-cf1004c9e26c@googlegroups.com> <mailman.183.1365220469.3114.python-list@python.org> <pan.2013.04.06.13.52.44.838000@nowhere.com> <mailman.200.1365258042.3114.python-list@python.org>

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In article <mailman.200.1365258042.3114.python-list@python.org>,
 Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sun, Apr 7, 2013 at 12:52 AM, Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote:
> > Historically, software and hardware which assigns a meaning to a tab
> > character has come in two flavours:
> >
> > 1. Tab stops are every 8 columns; this cannot be changed.
> > 2. Tab stops are configurable, defaulting to every 8 columns.
> 
> 3. Tab stops are measured in something other than characters.
> 
> With variable-width fonts, it's illogical to set tab stops in
> characters. DeScribe Word Processor defined them in centimeters, way
> back in the early... well, I didn't meet it till the 90s, but I don't
> know how long it had been around before that.

What makes sense for a word processor and what makes sense for a 
programming language are two very different things.

Word processors are almost always working with blocks of running text, 
set in proportional fonts, often with multiple font sizes and styles.  
It is usually assumed that line breaks are ephemeral, i.e. as the text 
gets edited and reformatted, lines will re-flow.

Program text is almost always(*) displayed in a fixed-width font.  No 
font information is carried along with the program text at all; it is 
assumed the reader will pick a font and size of their own preference, 
with the only requirement being that it's monospaced.

(*) There was a fad about 10 or 15 years ago to print code samples in 
books in proportional fonts.  Prentice-Hall seemed to be particularly 
guilty of this.  Fortunately, common sense prevailed and everybody has 
gone back to monotype.

Thread

I hate you all terminatorul@gmail.com - 2013-04-05 14:41 -0700
  Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 08:53 +1100
  Re: I hate you all John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2013-04-05 21:55 +0000
    Re: I hate you all terminatorul@gmail.com - 2013-04-05 15:04 -0700
      Re: I hate you all Andrew Berg <bahamutzero8825@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 17:28 -0500
      Re: I hate you all Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 16:42 -0600
        Re: I hate you all terminatorul@gmail.com - 2013-04-05 17:22 -0700
          Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 11:35 +1100
            Re: I hate you all Timothy Madden <terminatorul@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 08:07 +0300
              Re: I hate you all Benjamin Kaplan <benjamin.kaplan@case.edu> - 2013-04-05 22:28 -0700
              Re: I hate you all Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 23:53 -0600
                Re: I hate you all Timothy Madden <terminatorul@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 09:56 +0300
                Re: I hate you all Joshua Landau <joshua.landau.ws@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 11:17 +0100
                Re: I hate you all Timothy Madden <terminatorul@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 17:22 +0300
                Re: I hate you all Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-04-06 15:30 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Roland Koebler <r.koebler@yahoo.de> - 2013-04-08 00:52 +0200
              Re: I hate you all Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 23:59 -0600
                Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-06 06:19 +0000
              Re: I hate you all Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 23:49 -0600
          Re: I hate you all Andrew Berg <bahamutzero8825@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 19:50 -0500
          Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-06 02:07 +0000
          Re: I hate you all Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 21:53 -0600
            Re: I hate you all Timothy Madden <terminatorul@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 08:36 +0300
              Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 16:44 +1100
              Re: I hate you all Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 23:58 -0600
                Re: I hate you all Timothy Madden <terminatorul@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 10:07 +0300
              Re: I hate you all Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2013-04-05 23:00 -0700
                Re: I hate you all Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-04-06 15:37 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-04-06 11:49 -0400
              Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-06 06:55 +0000
              Re: I hate you all Larry Hudson <orgnut@yahoo.com> - 2013-04-06 13:17 -0700
                Re: I hate you all Timothy Madden <terminatorul@gmail.com> - 2013-04-07 14:37 +0300
            Re: I hate you all Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2013-04-06 14:52 +0100
              Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-07 01:20 +1100
                Re: I hate you all Timothy Madden <terminatorul@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 17:37 +0300
                Re: I hate you all Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-04-06 11:01 -0400
                Re: I hate you all Neil Cerutti <neilc@norwich.edu> - 2013-04-06 15:15 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-04-06 15:41 +0000
                Re: I hate you all rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 09:00 -0700
                Re: I hate you all Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-04-06 11:59 -0400
                Re: I hate you all Neil Cerutti <neilc@norwich.edu> - 2013-04-06 18:48 +0000
                Re: I hate you all rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 08:31 -0700
                Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-07 07:29 +1000
                Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-07 01:38 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-07 01:30 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-04-06 22:15 -0400
                Re: I hate you all Jason Friedman <jsf80238@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 20:42 -0600
                Re: I hate you all Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2013-04-08 19:43 +0100
                Re: I hate you all Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-04-08 19:48 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Walter Hurry <walterhurry@lavabit.com> - 2013-04-08 21:25 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-04-08 21:29 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-09 08:00 +1000
                Re: I hate you all Walter Hurry <walterhurry@lavabit.com> - 2013-04-08 22:51 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-09 08:57 +1000
                Re: I hate you all Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-04-09 09:33 +0100
                Re: I hate you all Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-04-09 13:39 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2013-04-09 09:17 -0500
                Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-10 00:20 +1000
                Re: I hate you all Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-04-09 16:51 +0100
                Re: I hate you all Walter Hurry <walterhurry@lavabit.com> - 2013-04-09 21:09 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-04-09 23:09 +0100
                Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-09 23:21 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-10 09:28 +1000
                Re: I hate you all Walter Hurry <walterhurry@lavabit.com> - 2013-04-09 23:50 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-10 10:31 +1000
                Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-10 02:00 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-04-10 12:14 +1000
                Re: I hate you all Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-04-10 00:39 +0100
                Re: I hate you all Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-04-10 00:41 +0100
                Re: I hate you all Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-04-09 21:43 +0000
                Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-09 02:51 +0000
                Re: I hate you all rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2013-04-08 21:06 -0700
                Re: I hate you all rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2013-04-08 21:52 -0700
                Re: I hate you all Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-04-09 05:19 +0000
          Re: I hate you all "Günther Dietrich" <gd.usenet@spamfence.net> - 2013-04-06 14:55 +0200
        Re: I hate you all terminatorul@gmail.com - 2013-04-05 17:22 -0700
      Re: I hate you all Isaac To <isaac.to@gmail.com> - 2013-04-06 06:35 +0800
      Re: I hate you all Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2013-04-05 17:00 -0600
  Re: I hate you all Dylan Evans <dylan@dje.me> - 2013-04-06 14:28 +1000
    Re: I hate you all terminatorul@gmail.com - 2013-04-05 22:13 -0700
      Re: I hate you all Dylan Evans <dylan@dje.me> - 2013-04-07 13:00 +1000
        Re: I hate you all Timothy Madden <terminatorul@gmail.com> - 2013-04-07 14:44 +0300
          Re: I hate you all Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2013-04-07 11:12 -0700
            Re: I hate you all Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-04-07 14:33 -0400
    Re: I hate you all terminatorul@gmail.com - 2013-04-05 22:13 -0700
  Re: I hate you all Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-04-06 15:27 +0000
    Re: I hate you all Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-04-06 11:58 -0400
  Re: I hate you all Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2013-04-07 19:25 +0100

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