General code conventions

Naming

Where possible, please try to use human-readable names for all principal variables and constants. These are my suggestions:

• Use camel case for important names.

  • All class and exception names have uppercase first letter. e.g., "MapSystem"

  • Variable names have lowercase first letter. e.g., "inputVarList"

In the current code version, I have frequently used underscores as a separator in all-lowercase names. This may change so that I am more consistent with the above convention.

• Capital letters for global constants. Underscores are more useful here. e.g., "E_COMPUTFAIL"

• Class method names should generally use the same convention as functions, but should start with a single underscore when they are to be distinguished as "internal" (private) methods, or only for use by advanced users.

Module code conventions

Header

At this point, a strictly consistent revision numbering system is not worth the effort. I have kept the placeholder there for future use, nonetheless. My headers have the form

   1 #! /usr/local/bin/python
   2 #Author:    Robert Clewley
   3 #Date:      11 Jun 2005
   4 #$Revision: 1.0.2 $
   5 """Trajectory generator classes.
   6 
   7    Robert Clewley, June 2005
   8 
   9 """

Module imports

Standard PyDSTool modules that are used throughout a module should be imported using the convention "from <stdmodule> import *", so that the imported names are directly accessible without prefixing. Less commonly used, or minor, modules should be imported using "import <stdmodule>" so that the module name prefixes the imported names. The following are almost always required, in order that a module can communicate with the core code:

   1 # PyDSTool imports
   2 from utils import *
   3 from common import *
   4 from errors import *
   5 from Interval import *
   6 from Points import *
   7 import Variable
   8 import Trajectory

After these "internal" PyDSTool imports, these are typical imports:

   1 # Other imports
   2 from scipy_base import *
   3 from numarray import array, arange, zeros, Float, Int, Complex, \
     Float64, Int32, Complex64
   4 import math

Module exports

Use the __all__ syntax to export only the primary names from a module. This avoids clutter when importers of the module use "from yourmodule import *"

Global declarations

Any global constants should be declared next.