From: ldo@nz.invalid   
      
   On Mon, 18 Aug 2025 21:49:29 -0400, Arne Vajhøj wrote:   
      
   > On 8/18/2025 7:59 PM, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:   
   >>>   
   >> On Mon, 18 Aug 2025 19:48:16 -0400, Arne Vajhøj wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>> On 8/18/2025 7:45 PM, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Parentheses are best used lightly -- where needed, maybe a little   
   >>>> bit more than that, and that’s it.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Otherwise parenthesis clutter introduces its own obstacles to   
   >>>> readability.   
   >>>   
   >>> That is not the mantra among people who try to prevent future   
   >>> errors.   
   >>   
   >> There are people who just repeat what they are told, aren’t there,   
   >> instead of learning from actual experience.   
   >   
   > It is the recommendation from people with actual experience.   
   >   
   > One book that recommend it is "The Practice of Programming".   
   > Brian Kernighan and Rob Pike.   
      
   One wonders how much experience they really have, across how many   
   different languages.   
      
   For example, consider some Lisp code. Here is a function of mine, not   
   laid out the way I would usually write it, but in something   
   approximating traditional Lisp layout:   
      
       (defun cur-line (ensure-newline)   
           (mstr   
               "returns list of two character positions, representing the"   
               " beginning and end of the selection if there is one, else"   
               " the beginning and end of the current line. ensure-newline"   
               " => ensures there is a newline at the end of the line.")   
           (let (beg end)   
               (cond   
                   ((use-region-p)   
                       (setq beg (min (point) (mark)))   
                       (setq end (max (point) (mark))))   
                   (t (save-excursion   
                       (setq beg (search-backward "\n" nil t))   
                       (cond   
                           (beg (setq beg (+ beg 1)))   
                           (t (setq beg (point-min))))   
                       (goto-char beg)   
                       (search-forward "\n" nil 1)   
                       (setq end (point)))))   
               (when ensure-newline   
                   (deactivate-mark)   
                   (goto-char end)   
                   (unless (eq (char-before) 10)   
                       (insert "\n")   
                       (setq end (point))))   
               (list beg end)))   
      
   Here is the way I actually lay it out:   
      
       (defun cur-line (ensure-newline)   
           (mstr   
               "returns list of two character positions, representing the"   
               " beginning and end of the selection if there is one, else"   
               " the beginning and end of the current line. ensure-newline"   
               " => ensures there is a newline at the end of the line."   
           )   
           (let (beg end)   
               (cond   
                   ((use-region-p)   
                       (setq beg (min (point) (mark)))   
                       (setq end (max (point) (mark)))   
                   )   
                   (t   
                       (save-excursion   
                           (setq beg (search-backward "\n" nil t))   
                           (cond   
                               (beg   
                                   (setq beg (+ beg 1))   
                               )   
                               (t   
                                   (setq beg (point-min))   
                               )   
                           ) ; cond   
                           (goto-char beg)   
                           (search-forward "\n" nil 1)   
                           (setq end (point))   
                       ) ; save-excursion   
                   )   
               ) ; cond   
               (when ensure-newline   
                   (deactivate-mark)   
                   (goto-char end)   
                   (unless (eq (char-before) 10)   
                       (insert "\n")   
                       (setq end (point))   
                   ) ; unless   
               ) ; when   
               (list beg end)   
           ) ; let   
       ) ; defun cur-line   
      
   Which would you prefer?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)