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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
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To: Dave Angel <davea@davea.name>
Cc: python-list@python.org, "William R. Wing" <wrw@mac.com>
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On Nov 7, 2014, at 7:42 AM, Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> wrote:
>=20
> Bob Martin <bob.martin@excite.com> Wrote in message:
>> in 730867 20141107 093651 cl@isbd.net wrote:
>>> Darren Chen <ccylily1314@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> =C3=A5=C2=9C=C2=A8 =
2014=C3=A5=C2=B9=C2=B411=C3=A6=C2=9C=C2=885=C3=A6=C2=97=C2=A5=C3=A6=C2=98=C2=
=9F=C3=A6=C2=9C=C2=9F=C3=A4=C2=B8=C2=89UTC+8=C3=A4=C2=B8=C2=8B=C3=A5=C2=8D=
=C2=888=C3=A6=C2=97=C2=B617=C3=A5=C2=88=C2=8611=C3=A7=C2=A7=C2=92=C3=AF=C2=
=BC=C2=8CLarry....@gmail.com=C3=A5=C2=86=C2=99=C3=A9=C2=81=C2=93=C3=AF=C2=BC=
=C2=9A
>>>>> On Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 7:13 AM, Ivan Evstegneev =
<webmailgroups@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Firtst of all thanks for reply.
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> brackets [] means that the argument is optional.
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> That's what I'm talking about (asking actually), where do you =
know it from?
>>>>>=20
>>>>> I know it because I've been a programmer for 39 years.
>>>>=20

But, to get back to the OP=E2=80=99s 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. =20

A fair number of =E2=80=9CIntroduction to . . .=E2=80=9D programming =
books still have such a section.

Bill

>>>> that's awesome=C3=AF=C2=BC=C2=81=C3=AF=C2=BC=C2=81
>>>=20
>>> Well I started in 1971 or thereabouts.
>>=20
>> 1959 for me ;-)
>>=20
>=20
> Approximately 1968 for me. I wrote programs in 1967, but didn't
> get to run them till 1968.
> --=20
> DaveA
>=20
> --=20
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list