Re: cc-mode adds newlines

[Andries Brouwer]

On Sun, Nov 21, 2004 at 02:41:24PM +0100, David Kastrup wrote:

> > I do not think so. Most likely they are sorry that this happened.
> 
> Variables are not introduced by accident.

This is a side discussion, but let me answer once.

Variables are often introduced out of ignorance.
(Not the pejorative ignorance but the lack-of-information ignorance.)

There is a certain behaviour, and it gets complaints.
Now what? Shall we change it? But it could be that someone depends on it.
Let us introduce an additional variable so that people can select
both old and new behaviour.

This procedure happens all the time. In many cases there is
no evidence that there actually exist people who want the old
behaviour.

But introducing an additional choice is not an unconditional
improvement. Each variable makes the system more complicated,
and therefore more difficult to use. That is, each new variable
makes the system a bit worse. New variables should be introduced
only when they offer an important new choice.

Andries