Private identifiers - naming

[Heiko Wundram]

Am Donnerstag, 6. Mai 2004 16:00 schrieb Sridhar R:
> Any thoughts?

If you find "__varname" difficult to read, don't use it. Python doesn't hide 
(try a dir(<instance>)) or protect access to these variables anyway, so you 
actually gain nothing using this syntax if it makes it cryptic for you.

The old argument: "We're all mature enough not to fiddle with data members 
that are not of our concern, but rather use the interface the class defines 
for us." And of course, if a class really wants us to not use a data member, 
this can all be stated in the doc-strings for the class. ;)

And, btw., I've actually found it rather helpful to have full access to 
classes (as long as I know the source of the class), so that I can patch in 
functionality that the author may have "forgotten" to implement...

Heiko.