Python: best_practices[1]

Write better Python code in the future.

Part 2 of our snippets and learning moments in Python. Topics I recently remembered or picked up. Here is the recollection of all this posts:

Convert your assignments into tables by using spaces.

# fine
 group = context['group']
 asset = context['asset']
 task = context['task']
 version = context['version']
 
 # clear table: var | value
 group = context['group']
 asset = context['asset']
 task = context['task']
 version = context['version']
 
 # too much
 task = context['task']
 version_number = context['version']

Simple one liner help readability (not everyone is a fan).

for path in paths:
  # 1 line
  if not path: continue
 
  # 2 lines
  if not path:
  continue

return/continue/break in one line instead of if-tabs.

# usual way
 def change_path(path):
  if path:
  new_path = path.split('_')
  else:
  return
 
 # precheck
 # checks without additional tab levels
 def change_path(path):
  if not path: return
  new_path = path.split('_')

Find a part in a sequence.

file_name = 'char_mike_v001_test'
 group, name, version, comment = file_name.split('_')
 text = 'mike'
 
 # Too long and complicated
 if group == text or name == text or comment == text:
  print('in file_name or')
 
 # Search in list, tuple, set, ...
 if text in [group, name, comment]:
  print('in file_name list')
 
 # Search in string
 if text in file_name:
  print('In file_name str')

Create a simple list in one line (faster and easier to read ... mostly).

# loop list (3 lines)
 squares = []
 for nr in range(10):
  squares.append(nr * nr)
 
 
 # list comprehension
 # one line - still easy to read
 squares = [nr * nr for nr in range(10)]
 # [0, 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81]

Explain important processes in more detail.

This is a must in complex scripts and on a professional pipeline TD level.

def rename_read_nodes(name, read_nodes):
  """ Renames all given read nodes while adding count.
 
  Args:
  name [str]: future name added with a count e.g. bg_001
  read_nodes [list]: Nuke read nodes
 
  Return:
  [bool]: success
  """
  # process rename read_nodes
  return True

Unicode aims to list every character used by human languages.

# ASCII is the old character encoding standard used by default
 # Limited range of characters
 print('This is a normal message.')
 
 # Unicode with e.g. German Umlaute
 print('mögen - gären - süß')
 
 # Defining the encoding standard (PEP 263)
 # by using this comment at the beginning of the file
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

Implicitly exists or not.

path = ""
 
 # explicit empty path/string
 if path == "":
  print("No path")
 
 # implicit empty path
 if not path:
  print("No path")
 
 # implicit existing path
 if path:
  print("Path is {}".format(path))

Note your script step by step before filling out the blanks.

# GET selected nodes
 
 # FIND all assets that start with "char_"
 
  # DELETE char asset

Constants are UPPERCASE variables which never change.

# UPPERCASE indicates constants which are defined in the beginning
 # but are never overwritten.
 PROJECT_PATH = '/project/'
 RESOLUTION = [1920, 1080]

- Alex

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