Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by iainmerrick 2919 days ago
none of your examples actually resemble valid config files

Neither does the YAML one? So?

you’re forcing them all to have the same indentation

I don’t know about you, but I always pretty-print JSON, just like I always indent my code no matter which language I’m using.

In fact that’s one of the arguments in favour of significant whitespace -- you’re going to be indenting anyway, so why bother with the brackets? It’s not an argument everyone buys, but everyone still indents their code.
1 comments
reificator 2919 days ago
> you’re going to be indenting anyway, so why bother with the brackets?

Because brackets are explicit. Whitespace is implicit and difficult to distinguish without editor support.

link
Jedd 2919 days ago
> > you’re going to be indenting anyway, so why bother with the brackets?

> Because brackets are explicit. Whitespace is implicit and difficult to distinguish without editor support.

I'm with parent on this one. Most people who complain about python's reliance on indentation still indent their code, and rely on the visual & editor hints (ie. they're profoundly confused when they muck up their indentation, but their brackets are still correct).

But I digress.

Whitespace is explicit in some (markup) languages, and there's nothing *plicitly wrong with that. If you're trying to do any kind of editing of a (markup) language that relies on sensible indentation with an editor that doesn't understand whitespace then you've probably got bigger problems.

link
reificator 2919 days ago
> Whitespace is explicit in some (markup) languages, and there's nothing plicitly wrong with that.*

Whitespace is never explicit. It only exists as the gap between other characters. You only perceive its absence.

> If you're trying to do any kind of editing of a (markup) language that relies on sensible indentation with an editor that doesn't understand whitespace then you've probably got bigger problems.

Which is why they should not be used for configuration files.

link
iainmerrick 2919 days ago
I did say not everyone buys it! :)

More seriously, the earlier comment complained that the indentation for the non-significant-whitespace examples was artificial. I’m saying it’s not artificial because in practice you would indent it.

link
reificator 2919 days ago
Oh yeah I agree on that front entirely, I just wanted to comment on the other piece.
link