minimumPEP8.md

Minimal PEP8 requitements:

The full list of PEP8 style guidelines is far longer https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/ but here are the main tules that we will be strict about starting with the midterm.

• Maximum line length: 79 characters. if your lines get to 85 once in a while may not be a huge deal, but dont get crazy with the line length

• import packages one at a time:

  import os
  import sys
  

  instead of:

  import os,sys
  

• use descriptive name variables:

  ridesByZip = ...
  

  instead of:

  rzp = ...
  

  or even worse:

  a = ...
  

  that way we can read your code if needed and understand what you did. That may save you if your code does not run for silly reasons: if we can fix it we may award partial points (if the reason is silly enough). Naming conventions are generally strictly observed and not observing them will make you a much less strong job candidate for any job that requires conding. https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/#prescriptive-naming-conventions

• document functions with docstrings as per PEP257. The docstring is a phrase ending in a period. It starts with """, it prescribes the function or method's effect as a command ("Do this", "Return that"), it describes the arguments, it ends with """ on a separate line.

   def complex(real=0.0, imag=0.0):
   	"""Form a complex number.   
  
   	Keyword arguments:
   	real -- the real part (default 0.0)
   	imag -- the imaginary part (default 0.0)
   	"""
   	if imag == 0.0 and real == 0.0:
       	return complex_zero
   	...
  

• use spaces between operators:

   a + b
  

  instead of:

   a+b
  

• if you use the try/except syntx name your allowed exceptions:

  try: 
    do_blah()
  except ValueError, IndexError:        <or wwhatever exceptions you want to allow>
    pass <or whatever you need to do>
  

  instead of:

  try: 
    do_blah()
  except:
    pass
  

• indent by 4 spaces, not by tabs