Good Coding Practices

Good Coding Practices#

Language-Specific Conventions#

  • Every language has its own idioms — learn them

  • Python: docstrings, PEP 8, snake_case for functions, CamelCase for classes

  • Following conventions makes your code readable to others (and to tools)

Bad naming forces the reader to memorize arbitrary labels.

Don’t
def proc(d, t):
    return d / t
Do
def compute_speed(distance, time):
    return distance / time

Rule of thumb

If you need a comment to explain what a variable is, rename it instead.

Use comments to…

Avoid comments that…

Explain why a decision was made

Repeat what the code already says

Summarize complex logic at a high level

Substitute for clear naming

Provide usage examples

Excuse unreadable code

Remember

Code is read far more often than it is written.

  • Stick to one style: indentation, naming, file structure

  • Consistency reduces cognitive load

  • Readability always beats brevity

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