kj wrote:
In <mailman.232.1288020268.2218.python-l...@python.org> Steve Holden
<st...@holdenweb.com> writes:
On Oct 25, 5:07 am, kj <no.em...@please.post> wrote:
In "The Zen of Python", one of the "maxims" is "flat is better than
nested"? Why? Can anyone give me a concrete example that illustrates
this point?
Two points on the practical side: most folk only remember a few levels
deep, so shallow is easier to work with*; and, while premature
optimization is usually a waste of time, effort, money, hair, etc., each
level costs another lookup.
And everyone taking the Zen too seriously should remember that it was
written by Tim Peters one night during the commercial breaks between
rounds of wrestling on television. So while it can give useful guidance,
it's nether prescriptive nor a bible ...
Well, it's pretty *enshrined*, wouldn't you say? After all, it is
part of the standard distribution, has an easy-to-remember invocation,
etc. *Someone* must have taken it seriously enough to go through
all this bother. If it is as trivial as you suggest (and for all
I know you're absolutely right), then let's knock it off its pedestal
once and for all, and remove it from the standard distribution.
The Zen is good humor, and good advice. An excellent reminder to strive
for balance in all things...
~Ethan~
--
* citation needed, I know
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