[Python-Dev] PEP 8 and function names (original) (raw)
Skip Montanaro skip at pobox.com
Mon May 27 18:47:15 CEST 2013
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But one thing that often confuses people : function naming. The standard library is kind of inconsistent. Some functions are separated by underscores and others aren't.
I think there are a number of reasons for this:
- Despite PEP 8's age, significant chunks of the standard library predate it
- Modules which are thin wrappers around various C libraries tend to mimic those libraries' names
- Modules which were heavily influenced by similar libraries from other languages often carry over spelling
- PEP 8 hasn't always been a checklist item for inclusion (not sure it even is today)
- Sometimes Cerberus was sleeping, and they snuck past him
In any case, once a module makes it into the standard library, the cost of changing spelling outweighs the benefits of slavish adherence to PEP 8.
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