Actually, I find limiting to ~80-100 chars makes code more readable. On a 24" sc... | Hacker News

Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

		dhotson on April 14, 2009 \| parent \| context \| favorite \| on: Ruby style guide Actually, I find limiting to ~80-100 chars makes code more readable. On a 24" screen I like to have 2-3 files open side by side. Having to scroll down is no big deal, scrolling sideways is pretty awkward. It also makes diffs harder to read if lines are too long. I certainly wouldn't argue for a hard limit of 80, but I find it's generally a good idea to break up lines if they're getting too long.

wildjim on April 14, 2009 [–]

That's kind-of the point: emphasis should be on readability, not "this long, and no longer!", and that applies to all points in any style-guide, i.e. it's a "guide" not a rule-book.

Consider applying for YC's Summer 2026 batch! Applications are open till May 4
Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact