Mystery Of Code

Readable Code

Good Variable Names - Readable 1.0

Variable Names Pay Off Right Now

You are writing a 10 line function. You have data that moves, changes from line to line. You need to keep track of these in your own mind as you go from line to line. Good variable and function names are big help here.

Parens Example Code

Here some example code from a few lectures ago:

parens(s): Look for a '(.....)' within s - look for the first '(' in s, then the first ')' after it. If both are found, return the chars between them, so 'xxx(abc)xxx' yields 'abc'. If no such pair of parens is found, return the empty string. 

def parens(s):
    left = s.find('(')
    if left == -1:
        return ''
    right = s.find(')', left + 1)
    if right == -1:
        return ''
    return s[left + 1:right]

Variable Names Could Have Used for "left"

int_index_of_left_paren   # Too long.
                          # Do not spell out
                          # every true thing.
index_of_left_paren       # Too long.

left_index            # fine
left                  # fine
li                    # too short/cryptic
l                     # too short, and don't use "l"

Exceptions: Idiomatic 1 Letter / Short Var Names

Decomp By Var Strategy

Decomp By Var Example Problem 'x3412y'

This is a classic make-a-drawing index problem. Getting this perfect is not so easy.

Function: Given a string s of even length, if the string length is 2 or less, return it unchanged. Otherwise take off the first and last chars. Consider the remaining middle piece. Split the middle into front and back halves. Swap the order of these two halves, and return the whole thing with the first and last chars restored. So 'x1234y' returns 'x3412y'.

Decomp By Var Solution

The variable names here help us keep the various parts clear through the narrative, even at the moment we are working out each line. The variable names are naturally similar to those in the specification. 

def foo(s):
    if len(s) <= 2:
        return s
    first = s[0]
    last = s[len(s) - 1]
    mid = s[1:len(s) - 1]
    halfway = len(mid) // 2
    return first + mid[halfway:] + mid[:halfway] + last

The variable names don't have to be super detailed. Just enough to label the concepts through this narrative. Note that the one letter "s" is fine - there is nothing semantic about s that we need to keep track of beyond it's a string. In contrast, "first" "last" etc. have specific roles in the algorithm.

Point here: writing this function with a blank screen. Use good variable names to pick off and name parts of the problem as you work ahead.

The variables are sort of divide-and-conquer within the function - separate out and name individual steps of the algorithm vs. doing it in 1 big jump.

Bad Variable Name Solution

Here is the above function written without any good variables. Just because something is 1 line, does not make it better. I believe it's correct, but it' hard to tell!

This is a good example of not readable. 

def foo(s):
    if len(s) <= 2:
        return s
    return (s[0] + s[1:len(s) - 1][(len(s) - 2) // 2:] +
            s[1:len(s) - 1][:(len(s) - 2) // 2] + s[len(s) - 1])

The bad code also repeats computations, like (len(s) - 2) // 2. The good solution computes that value once and stores it in the variable halfway for use by later lines.

Big Picture Software Costs - N2

N Squared Trap

alt: hours to finish is proportionate to number of lines squared

What Does N-Squared Mean?

Decomposition - Escape N-Squared Trap

Black Box Model - Abstraction vs. Implementation

Abstraction vs. Implementation - Ride To Airport

Strategy - Within Each Function

Abstraction in CS

# get list of filesnames in named directory
filenames = os.listdir('Downloads')

# Get the current date and time
now = datetime.now()

Mechanics: Fn name, PyDoc, Doctests

def del_chars(s, target):
    """
    Given string s and a "target" string,
    return a version of s with all chars that
    appear in target removed, e.g. s 'abc'
    with target 'bx', returns 'ac'.
    (Not case sensitive)
    >>> del_chars('abC', 'acx')
    'b'
    >>> del_chars('ABc', 'aCx')
    'B'
    >>> del_chars('', 'a')
    ''
    """
    result = ''
    target = target.lower()
    for i in range(len(s)):
        if s[i].lower() not in target:
            result += s[i]
    # could use "for char in s" form, since not using index
    return result

Coding Advice - vs. Anti Pattern

Divide this program into separate functions (black box). Test the helper functions first. When they are working, then test the bigger function that calls them. Not the other order!

Anti-pattern: type in all the code. Debug nothing. When it's all typed in, run it and try to debug all the code concurrently. Never do this!

string foreach

String Foreach Examples

> String Foreach examples

double_char2() example with foreach

def double_char2(s):
    result = ''
    for ch in s:
        result = result + ch + ch
    return result

List Intro

1. Use square brackets [..] to write a list in code (a "literal" list value), separating elements with commas 

>>> lst = ['a, 'b', 'c']
"empty list" is just 2 square brackets with nothing within: []

2. Use len() - number of elements 

>>> len(lst)
3

3. Use square brackets to access an element in a list (bad index err possible) 

>>> lst[0]
'a'
>>> lst[2]
'c'
>>> lst[9]
Error:list index out of range

List Mutable

The big difference from strings is that lists are mutable - lists can be changed. Elements can be added, removed, changed over time.

1. List Append

# 1. make empty list, then call .append() on it
>>> lst = []         
>>> lst.append('a')
>>> lst.append('b')
>>> lst.append('c')
>>> 
>>> lst
['a', 'b', 'c']
>>> len(lst)
3
>>> lst[0]
'a'
>>> lst[2]
'c'
>>>
# 2. Similar, using loop/range to call .append()
>>> lst = []
>>> for i in range(6):
...     lst.append(i * 10)
... 
>>> lst
[0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50]
>>> len(lst)
6
>>> lst[5]
50

2. List "in" / "not in" Tests

>>> lst = ['a', 'b', 'c']
>>> 'c' in lst
True
>>> 'x' in lst
False
>>> 'x' not in lst  # this form is preferred
True
>>> not 'x' in lst  # equivalent to above
True

3. Foreach On List

>>> lst = ['a', 'b', 'c']
>>> for s in lst:
...   # use s in here
...   print(s)
... 
a
b
c

3 list.index(target) - Find Index of Target

>>> lst = ['a', 'b', 'c']
>>> lst.index('c')
2
>>> lst.index('d')
ValueError: 'd' is not in list
>>> 'd' in lst
False
>>> 'c' in lst
True

List Code Examples

> list1 examples

Constants in Python

STATES = ['CA, 'NY', 'NV', 'KY', 'OK']

e.g. HW4 

# provided ALPHABET constant - list of the regular alphabet
# in lowercase. Refer to this simply as ALPHABET in your code.
# This list should not be modified.
ALPHABET = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z']

...

def foo():
    for ch in ALPHABET:  # this works
        print(ch)

main() - Monday