realpython / realpython/python-guide

Recommended autoformatters?

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Description

In the Code Style document https://github.com/realpython/python-guide/blob/master/docs/writing/style.rst there's a small mention of autopep8 which can be used to format code to meet PEP8 standards. But there's at least two other autoformatters (black and yapf) which are as good if not better. There's a blog comparing the three here: https://medium.com/3yourmind/auto-formatters-for-python-8925065f9505
The gist of it is: autopep8 is the most conservative, black is the most opinionated, and yapf is somewhere in between depending on how you configure it.

Should the python guide have an opinion on which auto formatters should be used? In addition to the current mention of autopep8. I think it would be good to expand this section; auto formatters are quite useful and of great interest to developers coming from tools like gofmt and prettier.

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Research direction

Start in docs/writing/style.rst at the existing autopep8 mention, then review the linked comparison of autopep8, black, and yapf. Update the Code Style document with guidance on these formatters and a clear recommendation or comparison; the section should explain how developers can choose an autoformatter.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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