On Sunday 31 August 2003 12:22 pm, Niklas Holsti wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 29, 2003 at 12:52:08PM -0400, Stephen Leake wrote:
> > Peter Hermann <[log in to unmask]> writes:
> > > My default settings of options would be
> > > line_length => 79
> > >                  software and hardwaretools of all ages without
> > > problems
> >
> > Ada is a "tool for the next century"; let's not carry the "support
> > legacy stuff" too far. There's no excuse for a line length limit of
> > less than 120.

Except, if you prefer more then one side-by-side text window at a time as I
do.

>
> I disagree with that rather dogmatic statement. It is true that text
> files with 120 characters/line are  no problem as such, but I have
> found "sdiff" to be a very useful and important tool for me. With lines
> up to 80 characters long, it is just about possible  to get a readable
> "sdiff" listing in a window of width around 165 characters. I suspect
> a window of width 240 would be unreadable, at least to me with eyes

I use 79 characters, and that work well with a 19" monitor using emacs with
two windows side-by-side and allows a small space on the side for speedbar.
The side-by-side configuration comes in handy for doing ediffs.

> over half a century old. With a judicious choice of "use" clauses, I
> can easily keep my code within 80 characters per line.
>

I prefer to use "renames" instead of "use" statements as it still allows for
complete, although abrievated reference. I only use "use" for "use type"
statements and find 79 characters to work very well or this as well.

package TIO renames Ada.Text_IO
> It helps that I indent calls in the style
>
>   Procedure_Name (
>      Par1 => Val1,
>      Par2 => Val2);
>
> and not as
>
>   Procedure_Name (Par1 => Val1,
>                   Par2 => Val2);
>
> which in my eyes make the code look very irregular, since the length
> of procedure names varies.
>
> Just an opinion of course.

And mine also.

>
> Niklas Holsti
>
> [log in to unmask]                 Space Systems Finland Ltd.
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