Re: About style

["Vinzent Hoefler" <0439279208b62c95f1880bf0f8776eeb@t-domaingrabbing.de>]

Yannick Duchêne (Hibou57) wrote:

> An quote from the JLint distribution, which is README says (JSlint is for
> JavaScript, but the quote applies well to Ada I feel) :
>
>> The place to express yourself in programming is in the quality of your
>> ideas,
>> and the efficiency of execution. The role of style is the same as in
>> literature. A great writer doesn't express himself by putting the spaces
>> before his commas instead of after, or by putting extra spaces inside his
>> parentheses. A great writer will slavishly conform to some rules of
>> style,
>> and that in no way constrains his power to express himself creatively.
>> See for example William Strunk's The Elements of Style
>> [http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/style.html].
>
> That said, I still know how it's difficult to try to define an Ada
> Standard Style which would please everyone.

True, yet I like the quote, because I always liked the idea that program
text should read just like any book. And that doesn't include violating
typographical conventions just for the sake of violating them.

That said, one of my colleagues likes to align semicolons at the end of
declaration, this then looks like that:

|A : Integer               ;
|B : Float                 ;
|C : A_Very_Long_Type_Name ;

Almost makes my cry each time I see it, yet there's nothing in our
coding standard that forbids it. I sure looked. :)


Vinzent.

-- 
A C program is like a fast dance on a newly waxed dance floor by people carrying
razors.
   --  Waldi Ravens