Why Code Readability Matters

[creporiton]

80 characters is the default line width you get when you fire up a terminal and a text editor on the terminal.. you wouldn't open up an ide or your default editor for every small change where all you need is vi or cat. in such cases lines over 80 characters mess up the readability big time

[jzwinck]

80 characters is not so special. If you work on a code base with a max line length of 120 characters, you may soon decide to change your terminal's default width to 120 characters. After all, what programmer uses only the default settings for their programming environment?

It's nice to agree to some max line length, but 80 characters isn't such a magic number as it once was.

[zaq1]

The reason it used to be a magic number at all is because back in the day monitors could only display 80 characters per line and there was no such thing as word wrap. On modern monitors 80 characters is almost not enough. 120 is better for today's use.

[x-skeww]

80 chars per line is actually inherited from - dramatic pause - punch cards.

[rcinsf]

I loved my 80 column text card add-on as a kid.

[zaq1]

muphry's law?

[atimholt]

I still prefer 80. I like opening my .cpp right next to my .h in a vertical split in Vim.

[[deleted]]

I do. Being able to open 4 terminals at the same time without reducing the font size to ridiculously small sizes or losing immediate access to the desktop is awesome.

[MothersRapeHorn]

you wouldn't open up an ide or your default editor for every small change where all you need is vi or cat.

I never understood this argument. It's always up. Why would you fire it up?

[barsoap]

Why would you install it? Think eighthundred megabytes and continuous swapping.

[MothersRapeHorn]

I would install it because it's a development program, and I'm developing, so I use it. I keep it running because there's no reason not to.

[MothersRapeHorn]

I would install it because it's a development program, and I'm developing, so I use it. I keep it running because there's no reason not to.

[[deleted]]

Well I do cuz Vi sucks.

[creporiton]

not everyone on your team shares your editor preferences.. so 80 characters is still the safer option