Coding standard: Prefixing variables to indicate datatype

[Erik Max Francis]

Thomas Weholt wrote:

> In my day-job I use Delphi/Object Pascal. My firm has a
> coding-standard
> where we prefix all variables with a single character to indicate
> datatype;
> strings are prefixed with s, integers with i, floats with f etc. etc.

This general class of notation is called Hungarian notation.  It's
either strongly liked or disliked; there's rarely opinions that lie in
between.  (I'm of the opinion that it is almost always overkill, tends
to become inaccurate over time due to code shift, and 99% of its
benefits can be gained simply by choosing appropriate identifiers.  Not
to mention terrribly ugly.)

> Are there any standards like this for Python? Or hints, tips, opinions
> related to this topic? I do believe it could make source more
> understandable
> and easier to debug/maintain when used in larger projects.

In dynamic languages, a Hungarian notation coding style makes even less
sense:  As long as an object supports the expected interface, it really
doesn't make any difference what type it is; furthermore, names can be
rebound to objects of completely different types, so associating the
type with the name is even less appealing.

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