Comments on: What’s Your Max Line Width? http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/ Jing Xue's Weblog Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:51:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Dan http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/comment-page-1/#comment-3014 Dan Fri, 12 May 2006 18:19:02 +0000 http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/#comment-3014 One good reason to limit the length of your lines is for comprehensibility. It's a reasonably well know research outcome that lines of 60 characters are optimal when authoring documents in order to maximise comprehension. Make your lines too long and people start to skip words at the start and the end of the lines. IMO, code works the same way. Particularly when reading someone elses code, the layout is quite important for trying to understand what's going on. One good reason to limit the length of your lines is for comprehensibility.

It’s a reasonably well know research outcome that lines of 60 characters are optimal when authoring documents in order to maximise comprehension. Make your lines too long and people start to skip words at the start and the end of the lines.

IMO, code works the same way. Particularly when reading someone elses code, the layout
is quite important for trying to understand what’s going on.

]]> By: Jose http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/comment-page-1/#comment-1372 Jose Tue, 28 Mar 2006 18:32:10 +0000 http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/#comment-1372 That is an interesting Idea. I am not a professional coder, and am only learning visualbasic.net and C++, so... yeah... it's an interesting idea. :D That is an interesting Idea. I am not a professional coder, and am only learning visualbasic.net and C++, so… yeah… it’s an interesting idea. :D

]]> By: tim http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/comment-page-1/#comment-1350 tim Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:24:03 +0000 http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/#comment-1350 100 here. 100 here.

]]> By: Michael Slattery http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/comment-page-1/#comment-1346 Michael Slattery Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:07:52 +0000 http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/#comment-1346 I too think the limit could be more. Perhaps 100 or so. Too long and it could get ugly. Also, you need some horizontal real estate for all the IDE tools. I too think the limit could be more. Perhaps 100 or so. Too long and it could get ugly. Also, you need some horizontal real estate for all the IDE tools.

]]> By: Sandy McArthur http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/comment-page-1/#comment-1335 Sandy McArthur Mon, 20 Mar 2006 05:38:25 +0000 http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/#comment-1335 My IDE shows a light grey line at 120 characters. I sort of try to keep lines shorter than that but it's a suggestion and not a rule. I have not printed code in a long time except for trivial code fragments that could fit in 50 column areas. My IDE shows a light grey line at 120 characters. I sort of try to keep lines shorter than that but it’s a suggestion and not a rule. I have not printed code in a long time except for trivial code fragments that could fit in 50 column areas.

]]> By: john smith http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/comment-page-1/#comment-1330 john smith Sun, 19 Mar 2006 23:52:56 +0000 http://www.digizenstudio.com/blog/2006/03/19/whats-your-max-line-width/#comment-1330 Good question. We have the same limit. I was told it was so we can print our classes. How many people do that? Good question. We have the same limit. I was told it was so we can print our classes. How many people do that?

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