Re: Language Choice and Coding style

[jdege@winternet.com (Jeff Dege)]

On 2 Jul 1996 21:18:35 -0500, Samuel Mize (smize@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM) wrote:
: True, given the current state-of-the-practice for editors.  I believe
: that editors exist that format the code as they read it in, to fit
: your preferences.  The next guy gets the code auto-formatted to HIS
: preferences (if using that editor).  (Or her.)  Everyone sees the code
: the way they like it, and how it's stored on disk is irrelevant
: (the compiler won't care).

Your CM system's difference utility will.  Quite often the fastest
way to find where a newly introduced bug is hiding is to run some
sort of diff across the revision that introduced it.  I'd hesitate
to lose that ability in exchange for the minimal benefit of allowing
programmers to waste their time futzing around with braces.

Of course, you may see context-aware diff utilities for the language
you develop in, assuming you only develop in one, and if you're
lucky it may even work with the current version of the language.
And if you have a reformatting system that is guaranteed not to mess
up your code, nope, not even once, you'll have a system that is in
no way better than what you had before.

-- 
  Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another:
  "What!  You, too?  Thought I was the only one."
                                             -C.S. Lewis