Python Programming

While we are discussing functions, let us check our favourite PEP 8 to see what it has to recommend for us about functions.

Naming functions

You should name functions like how you would name variables, i.e. lowercase_with_underscores().

I also encourage you to name your functions with actions/verbs, e.g. compute_accuracy(), repeat(), package_dataset(), is_good(), has_attribute(). It just makes your code more self-explanatory and easier to understand.

No spaces before the parenthesis

Do not leave spaces between the function name and the (). It makes it hard to read. You might think that do_something is a variable if you separate the (). I am strict about this one for our course!

# Good!
def do_something(x):
    print(x)

do_something(5)

# NO! NO! NO!
def do_something (x):
    print (x)

do_something (5)

No spaces around = for default arguments/keyword arguments

PEP 8 recommends that you do not put spaces around default arguments in your function definition, or keyword arguments in your function calls.

# Recommended
def generate(real, imag=0.0):
    return do_magic(r=real, i=imag)

# Not recommended
def generate(real, imag = 0.0):
    return do_magic(r = real, i = imag)

Blank lines

Surround top-level function definitions with two blank lines.

def do_something():
    print("Do something")


def do_more():
    print("Do more")


def do_even_more():
    print("Do even more")