PEP 8

PEP 8:

PEP 8 is a set of guidelines and recommendations for writing Python code that is easily readable and maintainable. It was created by Guido van Rossum, the creator of Python, and other Python developers to promote a consistent coding style across different Python projects.

Here are some key points and recommendations from PEP 8:

Indentation: Use 4 spaces for indentation. Avoid using tabs or a different number of spaces.

Line Length: Limit lines to a maximum of 79 characters. If a line exceeds this limit, you can break it into multiple lines using parentheses or backslashes for line continuation.

Import Statements:

Import statements should be on separate lines and grouped in the following order:

Standard library imports

Third-party library imports

Local application or project-specific imports

Naming Conventions:

Variables, functions, and modules should have lowercase names with words separated by underscores (snake_case).

Constants should be written in uppercase letters with words separated by underscores.

Class names should use the CapWords convention (PascalCase).

Comments: Use comments to explain code when necessary. Inline comments should be preceded by two spaces and a hash (#) symbol.

Function and Method Definitions: Define functions and methods using lowercase with words separated by underscores. Use a space after the comma in parameter lists.

Blank Lines: Use blank lines sparingly to separate logical sections of code and improve readability.

Other Recommendations: There are many other recommendations provided by PEP 8, such as using a single space around operators and after commas, using docstrings to document functions and classes, and avoiding extraneous whitespace.

It’s important to note that PEP 8 is a guideline, and it’s not necessary to strictly follow it in all cases. However, adhering to these conventions can make your code more readable and maintainable, especially when collaborating on projects with other developers. To check if your code complies with PEP 8, you can use tools like linters or code formatters such as Flake8, Pylint, or autopep8.