Practical Tips To Improve Readability and Quality Of Your Python Code
Readable code is a sign of professionalism.
You can't get better if you are doing the same things over and over again. To get better, we must stretch from our comfort zone, and learn and implement what is missing in our knowledge gap. Here are some ways that help you write better code:
Read PEP-8
It is a set of official python recommendations and guidelines to improve the readability of your python code. It contains guidelines on naming conventions, indentations, layout, etc.
Invest in books
Get copies of books like Effective Python, Fluent Python, Pragmatic Programmer, Code Complete, etc. These books show you how to write idiomatic code that adheres to industry and open-source standards.
Split logic into multiple files
There should be one file for the entry to your app. The other files should contain separate logic like helper functions, visualizations, model training, etc. Cramming everything in a single file can make the separation of logic and maintenance hard.
Look at someone else's code
Read through some open-source projects and observe how they write elegant code. Start with your favorite package and then dive into code written on personal blogs.
Writing functions that do only one thing
A function should ideally implement only 1 task. If a single function does everything, it will become difficult to refactor the code and also make debugging harder.
Use extensions in IDE
Extensions like flake8, black, etc can free the user from manually formatting their code. These extensions enforce a consistent coding style. Spend some time in exploring extensions that can help you write better and more consistent code.
You are writing code for yourself first and the machine later. The reason being you are going to work in a collaborative environment which should make reading and debugging code easy for everyone in the team. When it comes to code, it is never written once and forgotten thereafter. You will be referring to the code you wrote in some days, weeks, or 6 months. Just by looking at the code, you should be able to quickly understand what is happening in these scripts. Hope these quick and easy-to-implement tips improve the readability and quality of your code.