Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.lang.c
Subject: Re: C Indentation Survey Results (long...)
Message-ID: <5497@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 13:32:44 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5497
Posted: Wed Apr 17 13:32:44 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Apr-85 13:32:44 EST
References: <9930@brl-tgr.ARPA>, <381@busch.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 34

I find it quite amusing that the two following quotes appeared in the
same article (in the same paragraph, in fact):

>	...  Real open minded, aren't we Jim?  What ever
>	happened to programming style (as in everyone has their own...).
>	...  Here I thought one of strengths of C was it's
>	flexibility to differing programming styles.

>	I personally think
> 	that when it comes to readability in a program, a big part is
> 	consistency...

When it comes to readability in a program, consistency is indeed of
great importance -- consistency with what the programmer is used to.
And "programmer" doesn't mean just you, not for production software.
This implies using a standard programming style, not wandering off
on your own.

I used to have my own idiosyncratic indenting style.  Then we got
involved in V7 conversion, and I spent a lot of time reading and working
on other peoples' code, much of it done with K&R indenting.  Naturally
I used K&R indenting while doing this, because mixing indenting styles
within a single program is a major sin (readability and consistency,
remember).  It just got to be too much trouble to keep switching back
and forth, once I got used to K&R indenting.  It was much simpler to
be compatible with the rest of the world.  And I'm sure it's saved a
fair bit of hassle for other people reading and using my code; certainly
I got enough complaints about my odd style back in the old days.

"To be clear is professional; not to be clear is unprofessional."
					(Sir Ernest Gowers)
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry