Naming
module_name, package_name, ClassName, method_name, ExceptionName, function_name, GLOBAL_VAR_NAME, instance_var_name, function_parameter_name, local_var_name.
Names to Avoid
single character names except for counters or iterators
dashes (-) in any package/module name
__double_leading_and_trailing_underscore__ names (reserved by Python)
Naming Convention
"Internal" means internal to a module or protected or private within a class.
Prepending a single underscore (_) has some support for protecting module variables and functions (not included with import * from). Prepending a double underscore (__) to an instance variable or method effectively serves to make the variable or method private to its class (using name mangling).
Place related classes and top-level functions together in a module. Unlike Java, there is no need to limit yourself to one class per module.
Use CapWords for class names, but lower_with_under.py for module names. Although there are many existing modules named CapWords.py, this is now discouraged because it's confusing when the module happens to be named after a class. ("wait -- did I write import StringIO or from StringIO import StringIO?")
Guidelines derived from Guido's Recommendations | Type | Public | Internal | |----------------------------+--------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------| | Packages | lower_with_under | | | Modules | lower_with_under | _lower_with_under | | Classes | CapWords | _CapWords | | Exceptions | CapWords | | | Functions | lower_with_under() | _lower_with_under() | | Global/Class Constants | CAPS_WITH_UNDER | _CAPS_WITH_UNDER | | Global/Class Variables | lower_with_under | _lower_with_under | | Instance Variables | lower_with_under | _lower_with_under (protected) or __lower_with_under (private) | | Method Names | lower_with_under() | _lower_with_under() (protected) or __lower_with_under() (private) | | Function/Method Parameters | lower_with_under | | | Local Variables | lower_with_under | |