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Re: Standard for soft return by automatic word and line wrap



Erwan David wrote:
> Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> > Andrei POPESCU wrote:
> >> http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1855.txt
> >> - Limit line length to fewer than 65 characters and end a line
> >>       with a carriage return.
> >> but 72 is a common value used by several established editors (like 
> >> (g)vim).
>
> > I wonder if there's a valid reason to e.g. use 78 characters instead.
> > The pen friend using Alpin, does use braille. Perhaps the braille gear
> > has got 78 elements. I'll ask him.
>
> IIRC you have to keep room for quotation characters, thus '> ' for one
> level.
> THen yu get to the historical 80 characters long line.

Which is why 72 is most commonly used.  It allows for a few levels of
quoting without overflowing the right marging of a standard sized
terminal.

Bob

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