Subject: Time to update KNF?
To: None <tech-kern@netbsd.org>
From: Mike Cheponis <mac@Wireless.Com>
List: tech-kern
Date: 01/17/2000 15:58:31
KNF specifies tab-delineated indentation, viz.

	for (; cnt < 15; cnt++) {
		stmt1;
		stmt2;
	}

Also:

	/* Second level indents are four spaces. */
	while (cnt < 20)
		z = a + really + long + statement + that + needs + two +
		    lines + gets + indented + four + spaces + on + the +
		    second + and + subsequent + lines;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

However,  Richard J. Miaria, et al 1983 "Program Indentation and 
Comprehensibility" Communications of the ACM 16, no 11 (Nov) 861-67
reports on several studies that found correlations between indentation and
improved comprehension.

This from Code Complete, Steve McConnel, Microsoft Press, pp 409-401:

"Subjects scored 20 to 30 percent higher on a test of comprehension when
 programs had a two-to-four-spaces indentation scheme than they did when
 programs had no indentation at all.

"The same study found that it was important to neither under-emphasize nor
 over-emphasize a program's logical structure.  The lowest comprehension
 scores were achieved on programs that were not indented at all.  The second
 lowest were achieved on programs that used six-space indentation. 

"The study concluded that two-to-four-space indentation was optimal.

"Interestingly, many subjects in the experiment felt that the six-space
 indentation was easier to use than the smaller indentations, even though
 their scores were lower.  That's probably because six-space indentation
 looks pleasing.  But regardless of how pretty it looks, six-space
 indentation turns out to be less readable.  This is an example of a
 collision between aesthetic appeal and readability."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Therefore, I propose that we change KNF immediately to use two spaces for
indents, since two-to-four are optimal, might as well choose two.

I also propose that second level indents also be two spaces.

----------

Some may suggest that tab stop be put every 2 characters in the editor,
but 8 character tabs are standard so this causes more problems than it's
worth.

It's simplest to keep the indent at two characters.

-Mike Cheponis