Python Best Practices for More Pythonic Code

The articles and tutorials in this section contain best practices and other “nuggets of wisdom” to help your write better, more idiomatic, and more Pythonic code.

Here you’ll find specific resources that will teach you how to idiomatically use the features of Python, what sets it apart, and how writing in Python is different than writing code in another language.

As a high-level programming language, Python offers a lot of flexibility and freedom to implement thing. This can make it challenging to pick and choose from “the right way” to do things if there are several viable approaches you can choose from.

Our goal here is to make you a better—more effective, more knowledgeable, more practical—Python developer. You’ll get the most out of these article if you already have some knowledge of Python, and you want to get to the next level.

What Does if __name__ == "__main__" Do in Python?

What Does if __name__ == "__main__" Do in Python?

Sep 21, 2022 best-practices intermediate

When Do You Use an Ellipsis in Python?

When Do You Use an Ellipsis in Python?

Sep 19, 2022 best-practices intermediate

How to Replace a String in Python

How to Replace a String in Python

Sep 14, 2022 basics best-practices

How to Build Command Line Interfaces in Python With argparse

Building Command Line Interfaces With argparse

Sep 06, 2022 best-practices intermediate

How to Check if a Python String Contains a Substring

How to Check if a Python String Contains a Substring

Aug 22, 2022 basics best-practices

Python's property(): Add Managed Attributes to Your Classes

Managing Attributes With Python's property()

Jul 26, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

Custom Python Dictionaries: Inheriting From dict vs UserDict

Custom Python Dictionaries: Inheriting From dict vs UserDict

Jul 20, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

Using the "and" Boolean Operator in Python

Using the Python and Operator

Jul 05, 2022 basics best-practices python

How Can You Emulate Do-While Loops in Python?

How Can You Emulate Do-While Loops in Python?

Jun 20, 2022 basics best-practices python

LBYL vs EAFP: Preventing or Handling Errors in Python

LBYL vs EAFP: Preventing or Handling Errors in Python

Jun 01, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

Level Up Your Skills With the Real Python Slack Community

Level Up Your Skills With the Real Python Slack Community

May 25, 2022 best-practices community

How to Publish an Open-Source Python Package to PyPI

How to Publish an Open-Source Python Package to PyPI

May 23, 2022 best-practices intermediate tools

Why Is It Important to Close Files in Python?

Why Is It Important to Close Files in Python?

Apr 27, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

Python's assert: Debug and Test Your Code Like a Pro

Python's assert: Debug and Test Your Code Like a Pro

Feb 23, 2022 best-practices intermediate python

Python's all(): Check Your Iterables for Truthiness

Python's all(): Check Your Iterables for Truthiness

Feb 09, 2022 basics best-practices python

Python enumerate(): Simplify Looping With Counters

Looping With Python enumerate()

Jan 25, 2022 basics best-practices

Dependency Management With Python and Poetry

Dependency Management With Python Poetry

Dec 20, 2021 best-practices devops intermediate tools

Python Best Practices Artwork

Writing Idiomatic Python

Oct 26, 2021 basics best-practices python

The Walrus Operator: Python 3.8 Assignment Expressions

Python Assignment Expressions and Using the Walrus Operator

Oct 19, 2021 best-practices intermediate

Python's property(): Add Managed Attributes to Your Classes

Python's property(): Add Managed Attributes to Your Classes

Oct 13, 2021 best-practices intermediate python

Reverse Strings in Python: reversed(), Slicing, and More

Reverse Strings in Python: reversed(), Slicing, and More

basics best-practices python

Pass by Reference in Python: Background and Best Practices

Pass by Reference in Python: Best Practices

best-practices intermediate python

Using the "and" Boolean Operator in Python

Using the "and" Boolean Operator in Python

basics best-practices python

The Python return Statement: Usage and Best Practices

Using the Python return Statement Effectively

basics best-practices python

The Walrus Operator: Python 3.8 Assignment Expressions

The Walrus Operator: Python 3.8 Assignment Expressions

best-practices intermediate

Django Setup Guide

Your First Steps With Django: Set Up a Django Project

basics best-practices django web-dev

Python Practice Problems: Parsing CSV Files

Python Practice Problems: Parsing CSV Files

best-practices intermediate

Python's filter(): Extract Values From Iterables

Python's filter(): Extract Values From Iterables

best-practices intermediate python

Django Setup Guide

How to Set Up a Django Project

basics best-practices django web-dev

Python's map(): Processing Iterables Without a Loop

Python's map() Function: Transforming Iterables

basics best-practices python

Managing Python Dependencies Course

Managing Python Dependencies

best-practices intermediate

Speed Up Your Python Program With Concurrency

Speed Up Python With Concurrency

advanced best-practices

Python enumerate(): Simplify Looping With Counters

Python enumerate(): Simplify Looping With Counters

basics best-practices

Python's map(): Processing Iterables Without a Loop

Python's map(): Processing Iterables Without a Loop

basics best-practices python

The Python return Statement: Usage and Best Practices

The Python return Statement: Usage and Best Practices

basics best-practices python

Python Practice Problems: Prepare for Your Next Interview

Python Practice Problems: Get Ready for Your Next Interview

best-practices intermediate

Python Command Line Arguments

Command Line Interfaces in Python

best-practices intermediate tools

Python 3 Installation & Setup Guide

Python 3 Installation & Setup Guide

basics best-practices python

Pass by Reference in Python: Background and Best Practices

Pass by Reference in Python: Background and Best Practices

best-practices intermediate python

Unicode & Character Encodings in Python: A Painless Guide

Unicode in Python: Working With Character Encodings

advanced best-practices python

Python's reduce(): From Functional to Pythonic Style

Python's reduce(): From Functional to Pythonic Style

best-practices intermediate python

Python Application Layouts and Project Structures

Structuring a Python Application

basics best-practices python

How to Stand Out in a Python Coding Interview

Python Coding Interviews: Tips & Best Practices

best-practices

Inheritance and Composition: A Python OOP Guide

Inheritance and Composition: A Python OOP Guide

best-practices intermediate python

Python Pit Stop

Comparing Python Objects the Right Way: "is" vs "=="

best-practices intermediate python

Defining Main Functions in Python

Defining Main Functions in Python

best-practices intermediate

Python Command Line Arguments

Python Command Line Arguments

best-practices intermediate tools

Python Pit Stop

Python '!=' Is Not 'is not': Comparing Objects in Python

best-practices intermediate python