python

Best Practices

• Start with
• Use `if __name__ == "__main__":` to allow both import and direct execution
• Add type hints to all function signatures and return types
• Use argparse for command-line argument parsing with help text
• Prefer pathlib.Path over os.path for file operations
• Use logging module instead of print() for diagnostic output
• Handle exceptions with specific types, not bare except
• Use context managers (with) for file and resource handling
• Follow PEP 8 naming (snake_case functions, UPPER_CASE constants)
• Include a module docstring with usage examples
• Use sys.exit() with appropriate exit codes (0 = success, 1 = error)
• Validate inputs early and fail with clear messages
• Use subprocess.run() with check=True for external commands
• Prefer f-strings for string formatting
• Keep imports organized (stdlib, third-party, local) with blank lines between groups

Documentation Sources