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Groups > comp.lang.python > #31821

Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness

From Roy Smith <roy@panix.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness
Date 2012-10-20 16:37 -0400
Organization PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
Message-ID <roy-CFF5A4.16372320102012@news.panix.com> (permalink)
References <mailman.2501.1350638446.27098.python-list@python.org> <5081d0c3$0$30003$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com>

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In article <5081d0c3$0$30003$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com>,
 Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> wrote:

> Some code might be more conveniently written as a single long line. But I 
> would argue that nearly never is code more easily *read* as a single long 
> line, and since code is read much more than it is written, it is more 
> important to optimise for reading, not writing.

Like many people here, I don't worry much about the 80 column limit.  I 
make my lines of code as long as they have to be, and no longer.  If 
there's some obvious and easy way to fold the statement onto multiple 
lines, I'll do it.  If not, I won't.

This tends to result in lines that are less than 80 characters, but if 
not, I don't worry about it (assuming I'm even aware of it).

I just did a little experiment.  I took about 20 KLOC of python that was 
largely written by me and make a histogram of the line lengths 
(http://www.panix.com/~roy/length.pdf).  Just by eye, I'd say "most are 
less than 80, almost all are less than 100".  I'd guess the average of 
all non-empty lines is about 45 or so.  The longest line is 273 
characters:

             sys.stderr.write("Error: Can't find the file 'settings.py' 
in the directory containing %r.\nYou'll have to run django-profile.py, 
passing it your settings module.\n(If the file settings.py does indeed 
exist, it's causing an ImportError somehow.)\n" % __file__)

Would that have been better rewritten broken up into several shorter 
lines?  Absolutely.  Such is life.

PS: I didn't write that line :-)

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Thread

Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Jean-Michel Pichavant <jeanmichel@sequans.com> - 2012-10-19 11:21 +0200
  Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-19 22:14 +0000
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-10-19 20:23 -0400
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2012-10-20 14:18 +0000
        Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-10-20 15:10 -0400
        Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Walter Hurry <walterhurry@lavabit.com> - 2012-10-20 20:02 +0000
        Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness David Robinow <drobinow@gmail.com> - 2012-10-20 16:02 -0400
        Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-21 08:07 +0000
          Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-10-21 20:20 +1100
            Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-21 10:00 +0000
              Re: printing (was: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness) Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2012-10-21 06:03 -0500
              Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-10-21 22:43 +1100
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-21 19:11 +0000
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2012-10-21 19:23 +0000
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2012-10-21 16:19 -0400
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-10-22 07:38 +1100
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-10-22 07:22 +1100
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-22 06:30 +0000
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2012-10-22 18:03 +1100
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2012-10-22 08:29 -0400
                RE: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness "Prasad, Ramit" <ramit.prasad@jpmorgan.com> - 2012-10-22 20:48 +0000
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-10-22 16:02 -0600
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-10-22 21:39 -0400
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Joshua Landau <joshua.landau.ws@gmail.com> - 2012-10-23 08:35 +0100
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-10-23 10:50 -0600
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-23 22:34 +0000
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2012-10-23 17:24 -0600
                Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2012-10-24 00:04 +0000
          Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Gene Heskett <gheskett@wdtv.com> - 2012-10-21 07:08 -0400
          Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2012-10-21 12:42 -0400
        Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness DJC <djc@news.invalid> - 2012-10-21 15:06 +0100
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2012-10-19 22:27 -0500
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2012-10-20 00:35 -0700
    Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2012-10-20 16:37 -0400
      Re: A desperate lunge for on-topic-ness Walter Hurry <walterhurry@lavabit.com> - 2012-10-21 21:58 +0000

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