A challenge in software development is to keep things simple 🤯 For your code to not grow overly complex over time 😱 Simple is better than complex.Complex is better than complicated. Zen of Python 🐍 Simplicity in your code means fewer possibilities for bugs to hide and easier debugging when they do arise 📈 It… Continue reading Make Each Line Count, Keeping Things Simple in Python
Articles on Best Practices
⚠️Why you should avoid import * in Python 🐍
By Bob Belderbos on 15 August 2023
Anyone who’s worked with Python knows that modules can be a Godsend, saving you time, effort, and many lines of code. They even have namespacing built-in 💪 😍 To expand on this a bit: However, not all ways of using modules are equally beneficial. In this article, we will discuss why using import * can… Continue reading ⚠️Why you should avoid import * in Python 🐍
When to refactor your code?
By Rob van der Leek on 11 August 2023
How to make refactoring part of your Definition of Done Writing code is an iterative process. The first iteration is usually not the best result. Grooming and polishing ✨ are needed before the code is ready to share with the world (and your future self). There is a saying in software development that illustrates the… Continue reading When to refactor your code?
The Arbitrary (Keyword) Arguments (args and kwargs) don’t come “for free” in Python
By Bob Belderbos on 9 August 2023
Python allows you to use *args and **kwargs in function definitions to accept an arbitrary number of positional and keyword arguments, respectively. Here is a simple example: Different types of function arguments In the above example, the arbitrary_args function is defined to accept any number of positional and keyword arguments using the *args and **kwargs… Continue reading The Arbitrary (Keyword) Arguments (args and kwargs) don’t come “for free” in Python
Avoiding Silent Failures in Python: Best Practices for Error Handling
By Bob Belderbos on 7 August 2023
In the world of programming, errors are inevitable. But how we choose to handle these errors can make the difference between a system that is robust and user-friendly and one that is fraught with ambiguous issues 😱 The Zen of Python famously states, “Errors should never pass silently.” This principle emphasizes the importance of addressing… Continue reading Avoiding Silent Failures in Python: Best Practices for Error Handling
Why is Flat Better Than Nested? (Zen of Python)
By Bob Belderbos on 1 August 2023
The short answer: deeply nested code can be hard to read and understand (and this not only applies to Python, but for any code really). Each level of indentation adds a level of complexity and an additional condition that the reader (which is often you!) has to keep in their head while trying to understand… Continue reading Why is Flat Better Than Nested? (Zen of Python)
5 tips to learn any new Python library faster
By Bob Belderbos on 19 April 2023
This was a Pybites email first. To always get the latest and greatest content, subscribe here. Lately I have been learning some new libraries for weekly PDM Code Clinic demo sessions (e.g. PyScript, Flet, PySimpleGUI, Playwright, htmx, Redis, Leaflet, etc.) There is a general approach I take that makes this less painful and more fun.… Continue reading 5 tips to learn any new Python library faster
Reflections on the Zen of Python
By Bob Belderbos on 21 December 2022
An initial version of this article appeared as a Pybites email first. If you like it join our friends list to get our valuable Python, developer and mindset content first … How following the Zen of Python will make your code better, a lot better. This epic set of axioms (triggered by typing import this in the… Continue reading Reflections on the Zen of Python
Tips for clean code in Python
By Bob Belderbos on 8 November 2022
In this article I will give you 10 tips for cleaner code. Hope this helps improve your Python code. 1. Smaller units. Break long functions (methods) into multiple smaller ones that do one thing (SRP or “Single-responsibility principle”). This will make your code more modular and easier to test. For example, a function that parses… Continue reading Tips for clean code in Python
Help, I need to refactor a mega class! Here are 5 tips …
By PyBites Team on 24 September 2022
Somebody asked the other day for tips on how to refactor a mega-class? It was actually one of the first tasks on the new job, ouch! A single class, several thousands lines of code, no tests available 😮 You might scratch your head and say WTF?! After all, good developers decouple code into manageable pieces… Continue reading Help, I need to refactor a mega class! Here are 5 tips …