Data Science – Python Naming Conventions

4. PYTHON – NAMING CONVENTIONS

Table of Contents

1. Identifier........................................................................................................ 2
2. Why should we follow naming conventions? ............................................... 2
3. Points to follow for identifiers in Python ...................................................... 3
# Point 1 ......................................................................................................... 3
# Point 2 ......................................................................................................... 4
# Point 3 ......................................................................................................... 5
# Point 4 ......................................................................................................... 6
# Point 5 ......................................................................................................... 6
Examples......................................................................................................... 7
Common error ................................................................................................... 7
4. Python identifiers table ................................................................................. 8
5. Comments in program................................................................................. 10
Purpose of comments ................................................................................... 10
1. Singe line comments ................................................................................. 10
2. Multi line comments ................................................................................. 11

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 Data Science – Python Naming Conventions

4. PYTHON - NAMING CONVENTIONS

1. Identifier

✓ A name in a python program is called identifier.

✓ This name can be,

o Package name
o Module name
o Variable name
o Function name
o Class name
o Method name

✓ Python creator made some suggestions to the programmers regarding

how to write identifiers in a program.

2. Why should we follow naming conventions?

✓ While writing the program if we follow the naming conventions then the
written code is,

o Easy to understand.
o Easy to read.
o Easy to debug.

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3. Points to follow for identifiers in Python

✓ We need to follow few points to define an identifiers,

# Point 1

✓ While writing an identifier we can use,

o Alphabets, either upper case or lower case

o Numbers from 0 to 9
o Underscore symbol (_)

✓ If we are using any other symbol then we will get syntax error.

Program Creating a valid identifier

Name demo1.py

student_id = 101
print(student_id)

Output
101

Program Creating an invalid identifier

Name demo2.py

$tudent_id = 101
print($tudent_id)

Error

SyntaxError: invalid syntax

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 Data Science – Python Naming Conventions

# Point 2

✓ We can write an identifier with number but identifier should not start
with digit.

Program Creating a valid identifier

Name demo3.py

student_id123 = 101
print(student_id123)

Output
101

Program Creating an invalid identifier

Name demo4.py

123tudent_id = 101
print(123tudent_id)

Error
SyntaxError: invalid decimal literal

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 Data Science – Python Naming Conventions

# Point 3

✓ Identifiers are case sensitive.

Program Creating a valid identifier

Name demo5.py

value = 10
print(value)

Error
10

Program Identifier is a case sensitive

Name demo5.py

value = 10
print(VALUE)

Error
NameError: name 'VALUE' is not defined

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 Data Science – Python Naming Conventions

# Point 4

✓ We cannot use keywords as identifiers.

Program We should not use keywords to create an identifiers

Name demo6.py

if = 10
print(if)

Error
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

# Point 5

✓ Spaces are not allowed in between the identifier.

Program Spaces not allowed between identifier

Name demo7.py

student id = 101
print(student id)

Error
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

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Examples

✓ 435student # invalid
✓ student564 # valid
✓ student565info # valid
✓ $tudent # invalid
✓ _student_info # valid
✓ class # invalid
✓ def # invalid

Common error

✓ SyntaxError: invalid syntax

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 Data Science – Python Naming Conventions

4. Python identifiers table

✓ This table we can understand while studying upcoming topics.

Identifier Conventions to follow for identifiers

1. class ✓ In python, a class name should start with upper

case and remaining letters are in lower case.
✓ If name having multiple words, then every nested
word should start with upper case letter.

o Example: StudentInfo

✓ Info: This rule is applicable for classes created by

users only; the in-built class names used all are in
lower-case.

2. package

3. module ✓ Names should be in lower case.

✓ If name having multiple words, then separating
4. variable words with underscore (_) is good practice.

5. function o Example: student_id

6. method

7. Non-public ✓ Non-public instance variables should begin with

instance variables underscore (_), we can say private data.

o Example: _balance

8. constants ✓ Names should be in upper case.

✓ If name having multiple words, then separating
words with underscore (_) is good practice.

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o Example: IN_PROGRESS

9. Non-accessible ✓ Few variables, class constructors (topic in object

entities oriented programming) names having two
underscores symbols starting and ending

o Example: __init__(self)

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5. Comments in program

✓ There are two types of comments

1. Single line comments

2. Multi line comments

Purpose of comments

✓ Comments are useful to describe about the code in an easy way.

✓ Python ignores comments while running the program.

1. Singe line comments

✓ By using single line comment, we can comment only a single line.

✓ To comment single line, we need to use hash symbol #

Program A program with single line comment

Name demo8.py

#This is Basic program in python

print("Welcome to python programming")

output
Welcome to python programming

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2. Multi line comments

✓ By using multi line comment we can comment multiple lines.

✓ To comment multiple lines, we need to use triple double quotes symbol.

Program A program with multi line comments

Name demo9.py

"""Author Daniel
Project Python project
Location Bengaluru"""

print("Welcome to python programming")

output
Welcome to python programming

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