What are the differences between PEP 8 and Google Python Style Guide?

What are the differences between PEP 8 and Google Python Style Guide?

PEP 8 is the official style guide for Python, focusing on readability and consistency. Google’s style guide is more opinionated, emphasizing specific formatting rules. For example, PEP 8 allows for a maximum line length of 79 characters, while Google recommends 80 characters.

Can you give me some specific examples of formatting differences?

Sure! One example is how imports are handled. PEP 8 suggests grouping imports in the following order: standard library imports, related third-party imports, and local application/library-specific imports. Google’s style guide, however, has stricter rules about import ordering and requires a blank line between each group.

What about naming conventions?

PEP 8 recommends using lowercase words separated by underscores for function and variable names, while Google’s style guide prefers using camelCase for function names. For class names, both guides suggest using CapitalizedWords.

Which style guide should I follow for my project?

It depends on your project's context. If you're working in a team that already follows one of these guides, it's best to stick with that. If you're starting from scratch, consider PEP 8 for broader community acceptance, but Google’s guide can be beneficial for larger projects.