Python (was Re: I did not inhale)

[Janis Papanagnou]

[ NG list changed: removed shell, added editors; Fup-to set: editors ]

On Tue, 27 Aug 2024 21:34:54 -0000 (UTC)

In Emacs, I have commands defined to adjust the indentation of the
selected region. Surely any other decent editor would offer the same.

Writing editor editor macros in order to work around fundamentally bad
language design is not something a programmer should have to waste
time on.

I don't know about Emacs, but in most editors the way you indent a block
of code is to select the lines, then press "Tab". Unindenting is
"shift-Tab". [...]

I also don't know about Emacs. But there's the question how "selected
region" [LD'O] or "select the lines" [DB] is achieved. If there's only
primitive editing commands available (i.e. selection by mouse, or long
clumsy keyboard sequences) it may be irrelevant whether you indent code
in a Python or in a "C" program. If you're using editors like Vi that
block selection can be done with '%' and the indent with '>%' and the
reverse indent with '<%' (without the quotes); but that works only if
you have the syntactical elements (the braces, parenthesis, brackets)
as definition of the program block. That won't work for a block in a
language like Python where blocks are defined by layout (by the grade
of indentation); then you'd have to resort to the primitive editors'
selection features, mouse/menus or more laborious keyboard commands.

Janis

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

Post by Janis Papanagnou
If there's only
primitive editing commands available (i.e. selection by mouse, or long
clumsy keyboard sequences) it may be irrelevant whether you indent code
in a Python or in a "C" program. If you're using editors like Vi that
block selection can be done with '%' and the indent with '>%' and the
reverse indent with '<%' (without the quotes); but that works only if
you have the syntactical elements (the braces, parenthesis, brackets) as
definition of the program block. That won't work for a block in a
language like Python where blocks are defined by layout (by the grade of
indentation); then you'd have to resort to the primitive editors'
selection features, mouse/menus or more laborious keyboard commands.

I have Emacs commands defined to jump quickly between lines with matching
indentation. That lets me easily select entire statement blocks in Python.

[Janis Papanagnou]

Post by Lawrence D'Oliveiro

Post by Janis Papanagnou
If there's only
primitive editing commands available (i.e. selection by mouse, or long
clumsy keyboard sequences) it may be irrelevant whether you indent code
in a Python or in a "C" program. If you're using editors like Vi that
block selection can be done with '%' and the indent with '>%' and the
reverse indent with '<%' (without the quotes); but that works only if
you have the syntactical elements (the braces, parenthesis, brackets) as
definition of the program block. That won't work for a block in a
language like Python where blocks are defined by layout (by the grade of
indentation); then you'd have to resort to the primitive editors'
selection features, mouse/menus or more laborious keyboard commands.

I have Emacs commands defined to jump quickly between lines with matching
indentation. That lets me easily select entire statement blocks in Python.

I'm sure you have. - But wasn't that the point someone made upthread:
"Writing editor editor macros in order to work around fundamentally bad
language design is not something a programmer should have to waste time
on." [***@...] - I'm just feeling lucky with brackets and Vi. YMMV.

Janis

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

Post by Lawrence D'Oliveiro
I have Emacs commands defined to jump quickly between lines with
matching indentation. That lets me easily select entire statement
blocks in Python.

Not really, no.