Most of the standard library was built keeping usability in mind. Python, in this case, can be compared to the pseudocode you might think about when working on a program. Most of the code can be read out loud. For instance, this snippet could be understood even by someone that is not a programmer:
my_list = []
if 'd' not in my_list:
my_list.append('d')
The fact that Python code is so close to natural language is one of the reasons why Python is so easy to learn and use. When you are writing a program, the flow of your thoughts is quickly translated into lines of code.
This chapter focuses on the best practices to write code that is easy to understand and use, including:
- The usage of naming conventions, described in PEP 8
- The setting of naming best practices
- A short summary of popular tools that allow you to check for compliance with styling guides
In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:
- PEP 8 and naming best practices
- Naming styles
- The naming guide
- Best practices for arguments
- Class names
- Module and package names
- Useful tools