[Python-Dev] Changes to PEP 327: Decimal data type (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido at python.org
Wed Mar 17 20:22:02 EST 2004

Rather than wimping out on the issue, I think this PEP could perhaps show some leadership and help guide people towards some kind of consistent naming style. Just because a hodgepodge has made its way into the library in the past doesn't mean we should keep doing things that way.

It's hard not to wimp out, given that we can't change the existing library. Most C extension and nearly all built-in types use alllowercase or lowercase_with_underscore, but many fundamental Python modules use camelCase, e.g. threading.py.

BTW I feel less wimpy for class and module/package names: classes should use CamelCase (except built-in non-exception types) and module/package names should be all underscore. For example, modules like StringIO, SocketServer, cPickle and TERMIOS are historical violations, as are the asyncore classes.

But for methodnaming there's much less a near-consensus in the standard library. (Builtins are mostly lowercase.)

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)

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