What is PEP 257 and why is it important?

What is PEP 257 and why is it important?

PEP 257 is a Python Enhancement Proposal that provides conventions for writing docstrings. It's important because it standardizes documentation, making code easier to understand and maintain.

Can you give me an example of a good docstring?

Sure! Here's an example:

""" Calculate the area of a rectangle.

Parameters: width (float): The width of the rectangle. height (float): The height of the rectangle.

Returns: float: The area of the rectangle. """

What are the main conventions outlined in PEP 257?

PEP 257 outlines several conventions, including:

1. Docstrings should be triple-quoted.
2. The first line should be a short summary.
3. If there are more details, they should be included after a blank line.

How does PEP 257 relate to other PEPs?

PEP 257 complements other PEPs like PEP 8, which covers coding style. Together, they help ensure that Python code is readable and maintainable.