Re: Which code style do you prefer the most?

On 26/02/2025 17:47, Scott Lurndal wrote:

David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> writes:

On 26/02/2025 15:39, Bradley K. Sherman wrote:

Just do your best to keep it neat and under 80 columns.
>

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Neat, yes.  80 columns, no - unless you are living in the previous century.
>
Lines that are too long are hard to read, but the idea that 80 columns
is a good number or should be a hard limit is /long/ outdated.  About
100 - 120 columns is a better fit for a lot of code, letting you use
sensible identifiers without excessively splitting logical lines into
multiple physical lines.

 I tend to prefer the 80 column constraint.  I use vim with
both horizontal and vertical splits to work on a codebase with
several hundred source files;  80-column lines are much easier
to read in that environment, where each split may only be 80 columns wide
with two or three vertical splits available on a wide (16x9) screen.
 Makes it easly to move between files/splits using the keyboard, especially
useful over ssh.

I also work with multiple files on-screen at the same time, split in various ways.  I also work with ssh and remote files, and use command-line editors on occasion.
80 columns is /not/ a magic number that works well in such situations. Sometimes I want more files on-screen at a time, in which case 80 columns is perhaps too wide.  Usually, it is a little too narrow - you end up splitting lines artificially in a way that reduces legibility.
If you find that 80 columns works well for you, fine - use 80 columns. I've nothing against rules or styles based on what works for any given person, or even if it's just personal preference.  But I don't think much of a rule that exists primarily because of hardware limitations 40 years ago.