Python’s Style Guide

Here’s the summary of PEP8, a badly formatted guide to Python style which also imparts random programming advice.

Capitalization

_private, keyword_, __mangled_private, module, _extension, ClassName, _PrivateClassName, ExceptionError, function_name, global_variables, instance_methods, _private_instance_methods, instance_variables, _private_instance_variables,

* Follow the existing module convention over these rules

* _private Leading underscore to make a weak internal or private indication.

* keyword_ Trailing underscore to avoid conflict with keyword.

* __mangled_private Double leading underscore invokes name mangling privacy

* module Package names are all lower case, short, and may use underscores.

* _extension C and C++ extension modules have a leading underscore.

* ClassName Class names use CapWords.

* _PrivateClassName Class names can have an underscore to indicate internal use.

* ExceptionError Exceptions are CapWords classes and end with Error if they are errors.

* function_name Function names are lowercase with underscore seperators.

* global_variables Globals look like functions with lowercase and underscores.

* instance_methods Instance methods also look like function names.

* _private_instance_methods Private instance methods may use an underscore.

* instance_variables Everything looks like a function name

* _private_instance_variables Everything private looks like a private function name
Style Advice

* Indent 4 spaces per line.

* Limit lines to 79 characters.

* Separate top level methods and classes with two blank lines.

* Separate methods within a class with one line.

* Imports are one per line.

* Avoid spaces immediately inside parenthesis, brackets or braces.

* Avoid spaces immediately before a comma, semicolon, or colon.

* Comments should be complete sentences in English.

* Write good docstrings.

* Version bookkeeping goes after the module’s docstring.

* self is the first argument to all instance methods.

* cls is the first argument to all class methods.

Sorry, not an Idea For Free, but I got sick of trying to read through Pep-8 again to check a style question.