Re: is there any principle when writing python function

References	(6 earlier) <mailman.453.1314395156.27778.python-list@python.org> <roy-C5BFB8.12413627082011@news.panix.com> <j3b9em$7gn$1@dough.gmane.org> <mailman.470.1314466282.27778.python-list@python.org> <4e595334$0$30000$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com>
Date	2011-08-28 06:38 +1000
Subject	Re: is there any principle when writing python function
From	Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Message-ID	<mailman.482.1314477514.27778.python-list@python.org> (permalink)

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On Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 6:27 AM, Steven D'Aprano
<steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> wrote:
> You've never noticed the masses of code written in text books, blogs, web
> pages, discussion forums like this one, etc.?
>
> Real world code for production is usually messy and complicated and filled
> with data validation and error checking code. There's a lot of code without
> that, because it was written explicitly to be read by humans, and the fact
> that it may be executed as well is incidental. Some code is even written in
> pseudo-code that *cannot* be executed. It's clear to me that a non-trivial
> amount of code is specifically written to be consumed by other humans, not
> by machines.

Yes, I'm aware of the quantities of code that are primarily for human
consumption. But in the original context, which was of editing code
six months down the track, I still believe that such code is primarily
for the machine. In that situation, there are times when it's not
worth the hassle of writing beautiful code; you'd do better to just
get that code generated and in operation.

Same goes for lint tools and debuggers - sometimes, it's easier to
just put the code into a live situation (or a perfect copy of) and see
where it breaks, than to use a simulation/test harness.

ChrisA

Thread

is there any principle when writing python function smith jack <thinke365@gmail.com> - 2011-08-23 19:59 +0800
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function Peter Otten <__peter__@web.de> - 2011-08-23 14:20 +0200
    Re: is there any principle when writing python function Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-08-23 08:56 -0400
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function Mel <mwilson@the-wire.com> - 2011-08-23 08:53 -0400
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-08-23 08:55 -0400
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function Ulrich Eckhardt <ulrich.eckhardt@dominolaser.com> - 2011-08-23 15:00 +0200
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-08-24 01:22 +1000
    Re: is there any principle when writing python function Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2011-08-23 14:29 -0400
      Re: is there any principle when writing python function rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-08-23 13:22 -0700
      Re: is there any principle when writing python function Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-08-24 11:44 +1000
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-08-23 16:53 +0000
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-08-23 10:02 -0700
    Re: is there any principle when writing python function alex23 <wuwei23@gmail.com> - 2011-08-23 20:05 -0700
    Re: is there any principle when writing python function alex23 <wuwei23@gmail.com> - 2011-08-23 20:08 -0700
      Re: is there any principle when writing python function Red John <redjohn367@gmail.com> - 2011-08-24 16:29 -0700
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function ting@thsu.org - 2011-08-25 22:20 -0700
    Re: is there any principle when writing python function Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-08-26 07:15 -0400
      Re: is there any principle when writing python function rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-08-26 08:20 -0700
        Re: is there any principle when writing python function John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-08-26 15:40 +0000
          Re: is there any principle when writing python function rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-08-26 11:05 -0700
            Re: is there any principle when writing python function Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-08-27 07:45 +1000
              Re: is there any principle when writing python function rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-08-26 15:26 -0700
              Re: is there any principle when writing python function Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-08-27 11:26 +1000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-08-27 11:37 +1000
              Re: is there any principle when writing python function Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-08-27 12:41 -0400
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-08-28 02:57 +1000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Emile van Sebille <emile@fenx.com> - 2011-08-27 10:27 -0700
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2011-08-28 07:57 +1000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Emile van Sebille <emile@fenx.com> - 2011-08-27 15:21 -0700
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-08-27 16:01 -0700
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-08-27 19:09 -0400
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Stephen Hansen <me+list/python@ixokai.io> - 2011-08-27 16:27 -0700
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-08-28 03:31 +1000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-08-28 06:27 +1000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-08-28 06:38 +1000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-08-27 17:09 -0400
        Re: is there any principle when writing python function Tobiah <tobiah@teranews.com> - 2011-08-26 08:48 -0700
          Re: is there any principle when writing python function Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-08-27 02:10 +1000
            Re: is there any principle when writing python function Neil Cerutti <neilc@norwich.edu> - 2011-08-29 14:52 +0000
              Re: is there any principle when writing python function Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-08-30 04:20 +1000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Neil Cerutti <neilc@norwich.edu> - 2011-08-29 18:40 +0000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-08-30 05:02 +1000
                For some value of “sing” (was: is there any principle when writing python function) Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2011-08-30 08:17 +1000
                Re: is there any principle when writing python function Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2011-08-29 23:20 -0700
          Re: is there any principle when writing python function Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-08-27 04:16 +1000
            Re: is there any principle when writing python function rantingrick <rantingrick@gmail.com> - 2011-08-26 15:37 -0700
  Re: is there any principle when writing python function harrismh777 <harmar@member.fsf.org> - 2011-08-27 23:51 -0500

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