[Python-Dev] PEP 8 updates/clarifications

Mon Dec 12 03:19:01 CET 2005

> Do not use accessor methods, like ``obj.getFoo()`` and
> ``obj.setFoo(v)``, instead just expose a public attribute
(``obj.foo``).
This advice is, of course, not appropriate for all users (properties are
not typically in a Python beginner's skill set) or all use cases. It is
closer to one person's view of the One-Right-Way(tm). Opinions on
programming best practices vary widely, evolve over time, and may be
context dependent.
> > While, on some level, private variables seem attractive, I think
that
> > experience (for everyone I know) has shown them to be an attractive
> > nuisance. I recommend discouraging them.
>> I really really hate double underscores

FWIW, I think we have no business dictating to others how they should
name their variables. This is doubly true for a convention that has a
long history and built-in language support.
My preference is to leave PEP 8 for the minimum practices necessary for
one programmer to be able to read and maintain another programmer's
code.
Raymond