[Python-Dev] Changes to PEP 327: Decimal data type

[Guido van Rossum]

> Rather than wimping out on the issue, I think this PEP
> could perhaps show some leadership and help guide people
> towards some kind of consistent naming style. Just
> because a hodgepodge has made its way into the library
> in the past doesn't mean we should keep doing things
> that way.

It's hard not to wimp out, given that we can't change the existing
library.  Most C extension and nearly all built-in types use
alllowercase or lowercase_with_underscore, but many fundamental Python
modules use camelCase, e.g. threading.py.

BTW I feel less wimpy for class and module/package names: classes
should use CamelCase (except *built-in* non-exception types) and
module/package names should be all underscore.  For example, modules
like StringIO, SocketServer, cPickle and TERMIOS are historical
violations, as are the asyncore classes.

But for methodnaming there's much less a near-consensus in the
standard library.  (Builtins are mostly lowercase.)

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)