Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed

Path	csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!dedibox.gegeweb.org!gegeweb.eu!nntpfeed.proxad.net!proxad.net!feeder1-2.proxad.net!usenet-fr.net!nerim.net!novso.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path	<wrw@mac.com>
X-Original-To	python-list@python.org
Delivered-To	python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status	OK 0.002
X-Spam-Evidence	'H': 1.00; 'S': 0.00; ';-)': 0.03; 'programmer': 0.03; 'argument': 0.05; 'conventions': 0.07; 'subject:help': 0.08; 'earliest': 0.09; 'output,': 0.09; 'subject:command': 0.09; 'width': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.11; 'martin': 0.11; 'wrote': 0.14; 'question.': 0.14; 'sections': 0.14; 'books': 0.15; 'brackets': 0.16; 'ivan': 0.16; 'optional': 0.16; 'optional.': 0.16; 'received:mac.com': 0.16; 'subject: \n ': 0.16; 'subject:description': 0.16; 'thereabouts.': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'wed,': 0.18; 'received:10.0.1': 0.19; '>>>': 0.22; 'programming': 0.22; 'spread': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; 'cc:21': 0.23; 'section.': 0.24; 'cc:no real name:20': 0.24; "i've": 0.25; 'fixed': 0.29; 'am,': 0.29; "i'm": 0.30; 'url:mailman': 0.30; 'included': 0.31; 'reply.': 0.31; '>>>>': 0.31; 'context.': 0.31; 'font': 0.31; 'front': 0.32; 'run': 0.32; 'url:python': 0.33; 'screen': 0.34; 'but': 0.35; 'url:listinfo': 0.36; "didn't": 0.36; 'thanks': 0.36; 'received:10.0': 0.36; 'url:org': 0.36; 'throughout': 0.37; 'received:10': 0.37; 'nov': 0.38; 'received:17': 0.38; 'subject:needed': 0.38; '(from': 0.39; 'bill': 0.39; 'subject:" ': 0.39; 'url:mail': 0.40; 'dave': 0.60; 'eventually': 0.60; 'till': 0.61; 'simply': 0.61; 'back': 0.62; 'such': 0.63; 'became': 0.64; 'skip:\xe2 10': 0.65; 'talking': 0.65; 'cultural': 0.74; 'square': 0.74; '1967,': 0.84; '2014,': 0.84; 'header:In-reply-to:1': 0.84; 'them)': 0.84; 'angel': 0.91
X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version	vendor=fsecure engine=2.50.10432:5.12.52,1.0.28,0.0.0000 definitions=2014-11-07_06:2014-11-07,2014-11-07,1970-01-01 signatures=0
X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details	rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 suspectscore=0 phishscore=0 adultscore=0 bulkscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx scancount=1 engine=7.0.1-1408290000 definitions=main-1411070120
Content-type	text/plain; charset=utf-8
MIME-version	1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 8.0 $1990.1$)
Subject	Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed
From	William Ray Wing <wrw@mac.com>
In-reply-to	<m3ieo2$3eg$1@ger.gmane.org>
Date	Fri, 07 Nov 2014 10:03:49 -0500
Content-transfer-encoding	quoted-printable
References	<000001cff8e7$af51ef30$0df5cd90$@gmail.com> <88543346.5460.1415188500802.JavaMail.root@sequans.com> <000501cff8f1$ed99cc40$c8cd64c0$@gmail.com> <mailman.15492.1415189818.18130.python-list@python.org> <57af10d4-3891-4eec-8c46-5fa625ebe591@googlegroups.com> <jeguib-4du.ln1@chris.zbmc.eu> <cc3rj5Fug00U1@mid.individual.net> <m3ieo2$3eg$1@ger.gmane.org>
To	Dave Angel <davea@davea.name>
X-Mailer	Apple Mail (2.1990.1)
Cc	python-list@python.org, "William R. Wing" <wrw@mac.com>
X-BeenThere	python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version	2.1.15
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.15563.1415372659.18130.python-list@python.org> (permalink)
Lines	52
NNTP-Posting-Host	2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace	1415372659 news.xs4all.nl 2930 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:49121
X-Complaints-To	abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref	csiph.com comp.lang.python:80363

Show key headers only | View raw

On Nov 7, 2014, at 7:42 AM, Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> wrote:
> 
> Bob Martin <bob.martin@excite.com> Wrote in message:
>> in 730867 20141107 093651 cl@isbd.net wrote:
>>> Darren Chen <ccylily1314@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> å¨ 2014å¹´11æ5æ¥ææä¸UTC+8ä¸å8æ¶17å11ç§ï¼Larry....@gmail.comåéï¼
>>>>> On Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 7:13 AM, Ivan Evstegneev <webmailgroups@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Firtst of all thanks for reply.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> brackets [] means that the argument is optional.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> That's what I'm talking about (asking actually), where do you know it from?
>>>>> 
>>>>> I know it because I've been a programmer for 39 years.
>>>> 

But, to get back to the OP’s original question.  The earliest manuals that I remember looking at (from DEC, remember them) all had sections in the front that listed the typological conventions used throughout the manual.  Those included the use of square brackets to indicate optional arguments.  Eventually some of those conventions, including [ ] and the use of a fixed width font to indicate screen output, became so wide spread as to be simply part of the cultural context.  

A fair number of “Introduction to . . .” programming books still have such a section.

Bill

>>>> that's awesomeï¼ï¼
>>> 
>>> Well I started in 1971 or thereabouts.
>> 
>> 1959 for me ;-)
>> 
> 
> Approximately 1968 for me. I wrote programs in 1967, but didn't
> get to run them till 1968.
> -- 
> DaveA
> 
> -- 
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list

Back to comp.lang.python | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed Larry Martell <larry.martell@gmail.com> - 2014-11-05 07:16 -0500
  Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed Darren Chen <ccylily1314@gmail.com> - 2014-11-06 22:50 -0800
    Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed cl@isbd.net - 2014-11-07 09:36 +0000
      Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed Bob Martin <bob.martin@excite.com> - 2014-11-07 12:17 +0000
        Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2014-11-07 07:42 -0500
          Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-11-07 23:52 +1100
            Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed Larry Martell <larry.martell@gmail.com> - 2014-11-07 08:03 -0500
        Re: Understanding "help" command description syntax - explanation needed William Ray Wing <wrw@mac.com> - 2014-11-07 10:03 -0500

csiph-web