Re: Command Languages Versus Programming Languages

On Mon, 8 Apr 2024 22:14:16 -0000 (UTC)
Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

There it is again: “maximal space”. The “space” is there to be used.
Code may be one-dimensional, but you have a two-dimensional screen to
display it, why not make use of that, if it makes a complex structure
clearer?

Like I said: eye-travel. If the same amount of information is spread
out over a larger space, there comes a point where it's actually *more*
work to read, and it eventually becomes harder for the brain to keep
track of the relevant context as a result; the "flow" is broken.

Of course, it's entirely possible (and arguably more common) to err in
the other direction, and the best thing is to find a good balance - but
I maintain that a because-it's-there approach to screen space has its
own pitfalls as well.

    for \
            entry \
        in \
            get_each_record \

This, for example. Most of your example is quite reasonable, but what
Earthly purpose is served by breaking up a straightforward construct:

    for entry in get_each_record

into semantic atoms, let alone staggering them all across the page?
Splitting components into logical groupings is one thing, but the parts
here *belong* together; why separate them!?

(Obviously, there's an element of "de gustibus non est disputandum"
here, but I am legitimately both baffled by and curious about your line
of thinking.)