Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcupt1!swh From: swh@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Steve Harrold) Newsgroups: comp.lang.pascal Subject: Re: Indenting Message-ID: <7020006@hpcupt1.HP.COM> Date: 2 Oct 89 17:06:54 GMT References: <89273.161831TRM900@PSUVM.BITNET> Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino Lines: 35 Re: Indent style The submitted style of indentation is neither right nor wrong, as long as the style remains consistent throughout the program. In industry, with programming teams, it is important that coding styles among various members of a team be similar, so that code can be interchanged without shifting style gears. In many teams, a style is agreed to, by consensus, or company policy. Regardless of an individual's opinions about its "quality", his success as a team player will be enhanced if he adheres to it. Indeed, his performance reviews may well include this as a factor. Getting back to the student's submission, there are two lessons to be applied. First, that a consistent style is important, which he demonstrated, and second, that it has to be an agreed-to style, which he did not. Since all this borders on religious fervor, the best overall solution, is to provide a formatting tool that will translate personal styles to project/team styles. Then we can all have our cakes and eat them. And before this kicks off a "my style is best" debate, let me point out the example of the printing industry. Regardless of who writes the magazine article or book section, it gets printed in the "look and feel" layout that the editor/publisher has dictated. It works well! Let's learn! -- --------------------- Steve Harrold swh@hpda.hp.com ...hplabs!hpda!swh HPG200/11 (408) 447-5580 ---------------------