RE: any chance of 2.6.0-test*?

Scott Robert Ladd
2003-01-15T14:58:47Z

Kai Henningsen wrote:
> Well ... he did have some nice ideas. Unfortunately, they usually don't
> get palatable until someone else has worked on them.

I actually *liked* Modula-2... but I haven't used it since the very early
90s. I guess I didn't like it *that* much, huh? ;)

> If you look into Wirth's books and see that the example code in there ...
>
> * uses one(!) space indentation
> * routinely puts several statements on one line

I've got a copy of the classic "Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs"; in
it, Wirth uses four-space indentation but a proportional font. The style
isn't all that bad. Hell, I've got worse stuff in some of *my* books --
oops, shouldn't have typed that... ;)

One-space indents may very well be an artifact of idiot copy editors, and
not the author.

> * typically uses one- or two-character variable names

There is one instance when one/two-character variable names make sense:
mathematical code that directly implements numericla algorithms from the
text. In such a case, short variable names correspond directly to standard
notation; using longer names would actually obscure the correspondence
between text and code. I also don't see the point of using "array_index"
over a plain old traditional "i" in a loop.

Rarely is any coding "rule" absolute. The point is clarity; if a "goto" or
one-character identifier make sense, use'em.

For those who growl -- I think this kind of discussion *has* value in the
kernel mailing list. Kernel newbies and such can learn a great deal from
rational, calm debates among experts; if they learn, their contributions to
the kernel will be better.

Of course, note the "rational" and "calm" above, which does not apply to the
Stallman debate... ;)

I enjoy the implementation debates; they give me a better idea of where the
kernel is going, so I can figure out where to stick my oar in the waters.

--
Scott Robert Ladd
Coyote Gulch Productions (http://www.coyotegulch.com)
Professional programming for science and engineering;
Interesting and unusual bits of very free code.