C Indentation Survey Results (long...)

[Henry Spencer]

> > 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...
> > 
> 
> What is humorous about this ?!  These statements are not inconsistent.
> Do you know the difference between accuracy and precision?

Yes, I do.  What's amusing is that the original author hasn't noticed
the ambiguity in the meaning of "consistency".  Especially since a
(desirable) application of the other meaning directly contradicts
his first point.  I didn't accuse him of being inconsistent, remember,
just of producing an amusing juxtaposition.

I agree that interpreting "consistency" in the precision sense --
consistency with one's previous work -- is reasonable.  I also think
that interpreting it in the accuracy sense -- consistency with the
conventions other people are used to -- is reasonable, desirable,
and a basic responsibility of anyone claiming to be a professional.
I find it hard to imagine anything more unprofessional than making
your code harder for other people to read, just because you happen
to like it that way.  (Obviously I am talking about production software,
not for-author's-use-only tinkering, but remember that code sometimes
slides across the boundary unofficially.)
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry