documentation

• There are two main approaches to documenting Python code: comments and docstrings.
• comments
  • Comments are lines of text within your code that are ignored by the Python interpreter when the program runs.
  • They are used to explain the code's functionality, logic, or non-obvious sections.
  • Comments are essential for human readers (yourself and other developers) to understand the code's purpose and implementation details.
• Comments - In-line comments
  • These are short comments inserted on the same line as the code they explain, using the # symbol.

# This variable stores the user's name
user_name = "chaitu-ycr"

# This variable stores the user's name user_name = "chaitu-ycr"

• Comments - Block comments
  • These are multi-line comments using triple quotes ("""). They are useful for more detailed explanations.

"""
This function calculates the area of a rectangle.

Args:
    width: The width of the rectangle.
    height: The height of the rectangle.

Returns:
    The area of the rectangle (width * height).
"""
def calculate_area(width, height):
    return width * height

""" This function calculates the area of a rectangle. Args: width: The width of the rectangle. height: The height of the rectangle. Returns: The area of the rectangle (width * height). """ def calculate_area(width, height): return width * height

• Best Practices for Comments

  • Use comments sparingly and strategically. Well-written code with clear variable names often doesn't require excessive commenting.
  • Avoid redundant comments that simply restate the code's functionality. Explain the "why" behind the code, not just the "what."
  • Use comments to explain complex logic, non-obvious algorithms, or edge cases.

• docstrings

  • Docstrings are special string literals placed at the beginning of a module, class, function, or method definition.
  • They are accessible using the built-in help() function or the object's __doc__ attribute.
  • Docstrings provide a more structured and comprehensive way to document your code.

• Docstring Conventions

  • Docstrings typically follow PEP 257 (Python Documentation String Conventions) which outlines a standard format.

"""Short description of the function or object.

Args:
    argument_name (type): Description of the argument.

Returns:
    return_type: Description of the return value.

Raises:
    ExceptionType: Description of the exception that may be raised.
"""

"""Short description of the function or object. Args: argument_name (type): Description of the argument. Returns: return_type: Description of the return value. Raises: ExceptionType: Description of the exception that may be raised. """

• Benefits of Docstrings
  • Improved Code Readability: Docstrings provide a central location for detailed information about code elements.
  • Automatic Documentation Generation: Tools like Sphinx can automatically generate documentation from docstrings.
  • Code Reusability: Clear docstrings help others understand how to use your code effectively.