[Python-Dev] Dash (original) (raw)

Ben Finney ben+python at benfinney.id.au
Fri Jul 19 09:25:39 CEST 2013

Serhiy Storchaka <storchaka at gmail.com> writes:

What type of dash is preferable in the documentation? The en dash (–) or the em dash (—)?

They have different purposes; use whichever is appropriate for the context.

This isn't an official Python developer position. But all of ‘-’, ‘–’, ‘—’, ‘−’, etc. have distinct and common meanings in English text. So it's a mistaken idea to think of “which dash is preferable” since they are all preferable for their distinct uses.

-- \ “Science doesn't work by vote and it doesn't work by | `\ authority.” —Richard Dawkins, Big Mistake (The Guardian, | o_) 2006-12-27) | Ben Finney

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