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Python Best Practice Patterns by Vladimir

Keleshev (Notes)
May 09, 2013

These are my notes from Vladimir Keleshev's talk en tled "Python Best
Prac ce Pa erns", given on May , at the Python Meetup in
Denmark. The original video is here (about minutes long).

Note: Some of the code examples have been has been modi ed from the original
presenta on based on readers' feedback.

Composed method
• Divide program into methods that perform one task
• Keep all opera on in a method at the same level of abstrac on

• Use many methods only a few lines long

• Di erent levels of abstrac on: bitmaps, lesystem opera ons, playing sounds...

1 # Better
2 class Boiler:
3 def safety_check(self):
4 if any([self.temperature > MAX_TEMPERATURE,
5 self.pressure > MAX_PRESSURE]):
6 if not self.shutdown():
7 self.alarm()
8
9 def alarm(self):
10 with open(BUZZER_MP3_FILE) as f:
11 play_sound(f.read())
12
13 @property
14 def pressure(self):
15 pressure_psi = abb_f100.register / F100_FACTOR
16 return psi_to_pascal(pressure_psi)
17 ...

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• safety_check deals with temp and pressure

• alarm deals with les and sound
• pressure deals with bits and conver ng them

Constructor method
• provide constructors that create well-formed instances
• Pass all required parameters to them
1 # At initiation `point` is not well-formed
2 point = Point()
3 point.x = 12
4 point.y = 5
5
6 # Better
7 point = Point(x=12, y=5)

• Can use class methods to make mul ple constructors

• Example: Using Cartesian or polar coordinates
1 class Point:
2 def __init__(self, x, y):
3 self.x, self.y = x, y
4
5 @classmethod
6 def polar(cls, r, theta):
7 return cls(r * cos(theta),
8 r * sin(theta))
9
10 point = Point.polar(r=13, theta=22.6)

Method objects
• How do you code a method where many lines of code share many arguments and
temporary variables?
1 def send_task(self, task, job, obligation):
2 ...
3 processed = ...
4 ...
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5 copied = ...
6 ...
7 executed = ...
8 100 more lines

• Can't be solved by making many small methods (would use more code)
1 class TaskSender:
2 def __init__(self, task, job obligation):
3 self.task = task
4 self.job = job
5 self.obligation = obligation
6 self.processed = []
7 self.copied = []
8 self.executed = []
9
10 def __call__(self):
11 self.prepare()
12 self.process()
13 self.execute()
14 ...

Execute around method (in Python: Context manager)

• How do you represent pairs of ac ons that should be taken together?
1 f = open('file.txt', 'w')
2 f.write('hi')
3 f.close()
4
5 # Better
6 with open('file.txt', 'w') as f:
7 f.write('hi')
8
9 with pytest.raises(ValueError):
10 int('hi')
11
12 with SomeProtocol(host, port) as protocol:
13 protocol.send(['get', signal])
14 result = protocol.receive()
15
16 class SomeProtocol:
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17 def __init__(self, host, port):

18 self.host, self.port = host, port
19
20 def __enter__(self):
21 self._client = socket()
22 self._client.connect((self.host,
23 self.port))
24
25 def __exit__(self, exception, value, traceback):
26 self._client.close()
27
28 def send(self, payload): ...
29
30 def receive(self): ...

Debug printing method

• __str__ for users
• e.g. print(point)
• __repr__ for debugging/interac ve mode

Method comment
• small methods can be more e ec ve than comments
1 if self.flags & 0b1000: # Am I visible?
2 ...
3
4 # Better
5 ...
6 @property
7 def is_visible(self):
8 return self.flags & 0b1000
9
10 if self.is_visible:
11 ...

Choosing message
1 # Bad
2 if type(entry) is Film:

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3 responsible = entry.producer
4 else:
5 responsible = entry.author
6
7 # Shouldn't use type() or isinstance() in conditional --> smelly
8
9 # Better
10 class Film:
11 ...
12 @property
13 def responsible(self):
14 return self.producer
15
16 entry.responsible

Intention revealing message

• How do you communicate your intent when implementa on is simple?
• Use for methods that do the same thing (for readability)
1 class ParagraphEditor:
2 ...
3 def highlight(self, rectangle):
4 self.reverse(rectangle)
5
6 # Better
7 class ParagraphEditor:
8 ...
9 highlight = reverse # More readable, more composable

Constant method (constant class variable)

1 _DEFAULT_PORT = 1234
2
3 class SomeProtocol:
4 ...
5 def __enter__(self):
6 self._client = socket()
7 self._client.connect(
8 (self.host,
9 self.port or _DEFAULT_PORT)
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10 )
11 return self
12
13 # If you want to subclass SomeProtocol, you would have to overwrite every m
14
15 # Better
16 class SomeProtocol:
17 _default_port = 1234
18 ...
19 def __enter__(self):
20 self._client = socket()
21 self._client.connect(
22 (self.host,
23 self.port or self._default_port))

• Depends if you are designing to make your class subclassable

Direct and indirect variable access

• Direct
• no need for ge ers and se ers
1 class Point:
2 def __init__(self, x, y):
3 self.x, self.y = x, y
4
5 # Sometimes need more flexibility --> use properties
6
7 class Point:
8 def __init__(self, x, y):
9 self._x, self._y = x, y
10
11 @property
12 def x(self):
13 return self._x
14
15 @x.setter
16 def x(self, value):
17 self._x = value

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Enumeration (iteration) method

1 # Bad
2 # Can't change type of collection
3 # e.g. can't change employees from a list to a set
4 class Department:
5 def __init__(self, *employees):
6 self.employees = employees
7
8 for employee in department.employees:
9 ...
10
11 # Better
12 class Department:
13 def __init__(self, *employees):
14 self._employees = employees
15
16 def __iter__(self):
17 return iter(self._employees)
18
19 for employee in department: # More readable, more composable
20 ...
21

Temporary variable
1 # Meh
2 class Rectangle:
3 def bottom_right(self):
4 return Point(self.left + self.width,
5 self.top + self.height)
6
7 # Better to use temporary variables for readability
8 class Rectangle:
9 ...
10 def bottom_right(self):
11 right = self.left + self.width
12 bottom = self.top + self.height
13 return Point(right, bottom)
14

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Sets
• Can o en use sets instead of combina on of for loops
1 item in a_set
2 item not in a_set
3
4 # a_set <= other
5 a_set.is_subset(other)
6
7 # a_set | other
8 a_set.union(other)
9
10 # a_set & other
11 a_set.intersection(other)
12
13 # a_set - other
14 a_set.difference(other)

Equality method
1 obj == obj2
2 obj1 is obj2
3
4 class Book:
5 ...
6 def __eq__(self, other):
7 if not isinstance(other, self.__class__):
8 return NotImplemented
9 return (self.author == other.author and
10 self.title == other.title)

• Probably the only case to check isinstance()

Hashing method
1 class Book:
2 ...
3 def __hash__(self):
4 return hash(self.author) ^ hash(self.other)

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Sorted collection
1 class Book:
2 ...
3 def __lt__(self, other):
4 return (self.author, self.title) < (other.author, other.title)

Concatenation
1 class Config:
2 def __init__(self, **entries):
3 self.entries = entries
4
5 def __add__(self, other):
6 entries = (self.entries.items() +
7 other.entries.items())
8 return Config(**entries)
9 default_config = Config(color=False, port=8080)
10 config = default_config + Config(color=True)

Simple enumeration parameter

• When you can't come up with an itera on param that makes sense, just use each
1 # Awkward
2 for options_shortcut in self.options_shortcuts:
3 options_shortcut.this()
4 options_shortcut.that()
5
6 # Better
7 for each in self.options_shortcuts:
8 each.this()
9 each.that()

Cascades
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• Instead of wri ng methods without return values, make them return self
• allows cascading of methods
1 # Instead of this
2 self.release_water()
3 self.shutdown()
4 self.alarm()
5
6 class Reactor:
7 ...
8 def release_water(self):
9 self.valve.open()
10 return self
11
12 self.release_water().shutdown().alarm()

Interesting return value

1 # Meh
2 def match(self, items):
3 for each in items:
4 if each.match(self):
5 return each
6 # Is this supposed to reach the end? Is this a bug?
7
8 # Better
9 def match(self, items):
10 for each in items:
11 if each.match(self):
12 return each
13 return None

• Explicit be er than implicit

• Include return value if it's interes ng (even if it's None)

Further reading
• Smalltalk Best Prac ce Pa erns
• Not just for Smalltalk: applicable to Python, Ruby, and many other languages

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Edits

March , : Fix condi onal in Composed Method sec on. Thanks Rufus Smith.

February , : __eq__ returns NotImplemented to avoid asymmetric

comparison. Thanks Daniel Smith.

February , : Removed enumerate usage in "Interes ng Return Value" sec on.

Thanks Hugh Brown and Paul Winkler.

September , : Fixed error in Sorted Collec on. Thanks Frank Sievertsen.

September , : Fixed typo in Choosing Message gist. instanceof() should be

isinstance(). Thanks to richardborcsik for catching this.

July , : Fixed typo in Sorted Collec on gist. __lt__(self, other) needs

two arguments. Thanks to Tiago Oliveira for catching this.

tagged in python notes

Please send comments by email. I welcome your feedback, advice, and cri cism.

© Copyright 2019 by Steven Loria

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