On Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:09:39 +1200, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
> In message <[email protected]>, Terry
> Reedy wrote:
>
>> A reason not mentioned much is that some people have trouble following
>> packed lines that are too much longer. Wide-page textbooks routinely
>> put text in two columns for easier reading.
>
> But even 79 columns is too wide for them. So what?
I think you're wrong.
I just opened a random text book at a random page, and the first line I
counted had 84 columns of text.
("Data Structures and Program Design", 2nd Edition, by Robert L Kruse.)
Of course source code is written in a monospaced typeface, which is a
little wider and consequently fewer characters per page. The book uses
right-justified comments, making it easy to count that the maximum line-
width used for source code is 79 columns. Most lines are *much* shorter.
Excluding comments, the longest line of code I spotted was 64 columns,
with a typical line being more like 40 columns.
--
Steven
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