Re: Code Width and Comment Style (Was: What counts as a..

[Foster Schucker <Foster@...>]

Pfft, you kids with your glass terminal things.

I started off with IBM Unit Record Equipment, that's where you punched 
data on cards, ran them through a device that was programmed with wires 
that created new data cards and then that information was printed.

I used cards for years and only recently ran out of the last box that I 
used for notes.  The card stock came in colors (blue, green, orange, 
white, buff) and often had stripes across the top.

I'd do a deck with the standard buff cards and then punch changes on a 
different color card so I could track what changed (github ver 
0.0001).    We also drew a diagonal line across the top of the deck, if 
it got dropped, you could sort them back by using the line.

In the 70's there was a smaller card that had 96 cols and used circles 
for punches.  They were very sensitive to moisture, but they were the 
perfect pocket size.

One of the "right of passage" was you ability to create a "lace card" 
(one with all the holes punched out).   The sysops hatred them, since 
they easily jammed in the punch.   You could tell when a lace card was 
being punched from the noise.

On the original topic, I keep line lengths to about 60 characters for 
comments,  (it's the same as reading a paperback book line) and will let 
code lines go longer if there is a reason.  That's normally something 
that's printing text out.

Foster