[Tutor] Python Best Practice/Style Guide question

[Scott SA]

Per the interesting read at <http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/>

Can anyone explain the rationale behind this:

    - More than one space around an assignment (or other) operator to
      align it with another.
    
      Yes:
    
          x = 1
          y = 2
          long_variable = 3
    
      No:
    
          x             = 1
          y             = 2
          long_variable = 3

The example is rather simplistic and I find the latter form much easier to read when there is more than three or four assignments. Furthermore, I don't like the use of 'x' and 'y' style variables for anything but classical references and concise loops favoring 'chart_x' and 'chart_y' (I have a crappy memory, more descriptive names help me, and those reading my code, keep track of what I'm doing).

I _do_ see that in this example, it could be hard to follow which value is assigned to its respective name, but considering this _slightly_ less simplistic (though flawed) example:

    string_item = some_method(with_argument)
    y = 2
    long_variable = antoher_method(with, multiple, arguments)
    another_string_item = some_method(with, more, arguments)
    
Is easier to read (for me) as follows:    

    string_item        = some_method(with_argument)
    y                  = 2
    long_variable      = antoher_method(with, multiple, arguments)
    another_assignment = some_method(with, more, arguments)

_Yes_ the order can be changed, but there are reasons why it might be inapropriate to reorder i.e. dependencies.

TIA,

Scott

PS. There is a good best-practice link here too:
    <http://www.fantascienza.net/leonardo/ar/python_best_practices.html>