> -----Original Message-----
> From: Iremonger, Bernard
> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2017 6:31 PM
> To: Thomas Monjalon <tho...@monjalon.net>; Mcnamara, John
> <john.mcnam...@intel.com>
> Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> Subject: RE: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v1] doc: change doc line length limit in
> contributors guide
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: dev [mailto:dev-boun...@dpdk.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Monjalon
> > Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2017 6:18 PM
> > To: Mcnamara, John <john.mcnam...@intel.com>
> > Cc: dev@dpdk.org
> > Subject: Re: [dpdk-dev] [PATCH v1] doc: change doc line length limit
> > in contributors guide
> >
> > 11/05/2017 18:11, Mcnamara, John:
> > > From: Thomas Monjalon [mailto:tho...@monjalon.net]
> > > >
> > > > ...
> > > > > -* The recommended style for the DPDK documentation is to put
> > > > > sentences
> > > > on separate lines.
> > > > > - This allows for easier reviewing of patches.
> > > > > - Multiple sentences which are not separated by a blank line
> > > > > are joined
> > > > automatically into paragraphs, for example::
> > > > > +* Lines in sentences should be less than 80 characters and
> > > > > +wrapped at
> > > > > + words. Multiple sentences which are not separated by a blank
> > > > > +line are joined
> > > > > + automatically into paragraphs.
> > > >
> > > > Why not keep the recommendation of separating sentences?
> > >
> > > This isn't a recommendation. It is just pointing out that lines and
> > > sentences are joined into paragraphs. Maybe that is obvious and
> > > doesn't need to be stated.
> >
> > I'm talking about "The recommended style for the DPDK documentation is
> > to put sentences on separate lines."
> > I like this recommendation.
>
> +1 for this recommendation
>
The problem is that almost no-one follows this recommendation.
An 80 character margin is a simple rule that most programming
editors can enforce or handle automatically.
It is also what is recommended in OpenStack:
https://docs.openstack.org/contributor-guide/rst-conv/general-guidelines.html#lines-length
The kernel doc guidelines don't have a length rule but their docs
are wrapped at 80:
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/_sources/doc-guide/sphinx.rst.txt
The current DPDK "single sentence per line plus wrap at ~120 characters"
guideline is unusual, not supported by editors and, with rare exceptions, not
followed by anyone.
As such I think the guidelines should reflect how people actually
write docs and submit patches, which is wrapping at 80 characters.
John
