Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But why should I care? My code works just fine as it is!” Well, bro, let me tell you a little secret…
1. Use whitespace to your advantage! Dont be afraid of those blank lines they can make all the difference in making your code more readable and easier to follow. And while we’re at it, indentation. Indenting properly is crucial for keeping things organized and preventing errors. So, please, do yourself a favor and use four spaces instead of tabs (unless you work on Windows).
2. Keep your code simple! Dont try to be too clever or fancy sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. And if you’re not sure whether something is necessary, ask yourself: “Will this make my code more efficient?” If the answer is no, then chances are it’s not worth including.
3. Use comments sparingly! Comments can be helpful for explaining complex concepts or providing context, but they should never replace clear and concise code. In fact, if your code requires a lot of comments to explain what it does, then you might want to consider refactoring it into something more straightforward.
4. Avoid unnecessary variables! Variables are great for storing data temporarily, but they can also be a source of confusion if used improperly. So, before creating a new variable, ask yourself: “Do I really need this?” If the answer is no, then you might want to consider using a function or method instead.
5. Use descriptive names! Variable and function names should be clear and concise, but they should also provide some context for what they do. So, avoid using generic names like “x” or “y”, and opt for something more specific like “total_sales” or “calculate_discount”.
6. Use functions to your advantage! Functions can help you break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. And by doing so, they can also make your code more efficient and easier to read. So, before writing a long block of code, ask yourself: “Can this be done with a function?” If the answer is yes, then go ahead and create one!
7. Use list comprehensions instead of loops whenever possible! List comprehensions are a powerful tool for working with lists in Python, and they can help you write more efficient and concise code. So, before writing a loop to iterate over a list, ask yourself: “Can this be done with a list comprehension?” If the answer is yes, then go ahead and use one!
8. Use built-in functions instead of creating your own whenever possible! Python has a lot of built-in functions that can help you write more efficient and readable code. So, before writing your own function to do something, ask yourself: “Is there already a built-in function for this?” If the answer is yes, then go ahead and use it!
9. Use docstrings to document your code! Docstrings are a powerful tool for documenting your code in Python, and they can help you write more efficient and readable code by providing context and explanation for what each piece of code does. So, before writing any new code, ask yourself: “What is this function doing?” And then add a docstring to explain it!
10. Test your code! Finally, testing your code can help you write more efficient and readable code by catching errors early on and preventing them from becoming bigger problems later on. So, before running any new code, ask yourself: “Is this going to work?” And then test it out to make sure!