Love to get some feedback on my first python app!!!

[Joel Goldstick]

On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 10:32 AM, Jean-Michel Pichavant
<jeanmichel at sequans.com> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Chris Angelico" <rosuav at gmail.com>
>> Cc: python-list at python.org
>> Sent: Saturday, 20 September, 2014 4:58:44 PM
>> Subject: Re: Love to get some feedback on my first python app!!!
> [snip]
>>
>>     #search API
>>     rawData =
>>     urllib.urlopen('http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/services/search/web?v=1.0&q='+encodedQuery).read()
>>     #loads data from API into json
>>     jsonData = json.loads(rawData)
>>     #extracts the results from API
>>     searchResults = jsonData['responseData']['results']
>>
>> The more normal way to write these would be in present tense, in a
>> more imperative style: "Fix some bugs", "Load data", "Extract
>> results". (Although these comments are actually quite redundant - all
>> they do is tell you what the single next line of code does.)
>
> I used to belong to the cult "don't repeat yourself" in the comments, being angry against people who thought I couldn't understand by myself the simplest line of code.
>
> But I changed my mind. I've read some code comments over the years and best ones (imo) where those which where actually repeating themselves.
> Golden rules of comments:
>
> # state what you plan to do
> doIt()
>
> For instance:
>
> cells = ['a', 'b' 'c']
> # print the first cell
> print cell[1]
>
> A bug that is easily spotted thanks to the comment. It's all about implementation versus intentions. Also note that comment should be written for the future self,  and most importantly, for the current others.
>
> JM
>
Docstrings -- look them up.  Then you can run pydocs (and help!) on
your code and see excellent documentation

I would break up the big function into a few smaller ones that are
easier to describe.  Unless there is something very weird in the code,
I don't think #inline comments saying the obvious are useful, but a
summary at the top of the module, function, class, etc. is important

-- 
Joel Goldstick
http://joelgoldstick.com