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Re: Source code formatting: line length limit?
From: |
Robert J. Chassell |
Subject: |
Re: Source code formatting: line length limit? |
Date: |
Sat, 25 Jan 2003 13:26:33 +0000 (UTC) |
Until recently, I've implicitly assumed that lines should not exceed
79 or so columns.
70 columns is better, since that length enables readers to quote you
readily and to send easily readable patches.
Moreover, over the past half millenium, printers have found that
people have difficulty swinging their eyes down to the next line when
the line is too long or when the between-line spacing is too wide or
too narrow. A fill-column of 70 works well with the usual
between-line spacing on a computer screen. (Shorter lines work well
with the usual between-line spacing of printed books.)
As
File: elisp, Node: Margins
says
As a practical matter, if you are writing text for other people
to read, you should set `fill-column' to no more than 70.
Otherwise the line will be too long for people to read
comfortably, and this can make the text seem clumsy.
....
The default value for `default-fill-column' is 70.
While these remarks apply to people writing sentences and paragraphs,
they also apply to people writing code.
--
Robert J. Chassell Rattlesnake Enterprises
http://www.rattlesnake.com GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
http://www.teak.cc address@hidden
- Source code formatting: line length limit?, Kai Großjohann, 2003/01/25
- Re: Source code formatting: line length limit?,
Robert J. Chassell <=
- Re: Source code formatting: line length limit?, Stefan Monnier, 2003/01/25
- Re: Source code formatting: line length limit?, Kai Großjohann, 2003/01/26
- Re: Source code formatting: line length limit?, Robert J. Chassell, 2003/01/26
- Re: Source code formatting: line length limit?, Richard Stallman, 2003/01/26
- Re: Source code formatting: line length limit?, Stefan Monnier, 2003/01/27