Company
Date Published
Author
Bob Belderbos
Word count
841
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Python modules are valuable tools for developers as they facilitate code organization, promote reusability, and enhance readability by allowing functions and classes to be used across different programs without rewriting them. They also incorporate namespacing, which prevents conflicts by distinguishing identifiers in different modules. However, using the import * syntax can lead to "namespace pollution," where functions or variables with the same names from different modules might conflict, causing bugs and confusion. The article advises against import * in favor of explicitly importing only the needed functions or using aliases for modules, aligning with PEP 8 style guidelines, which emphasize clarity and maintainability. Additionally, package authors can use the __all__ dunder variable to control which modules are accessible when import * is used, thus protecting the public interface and minimizing unexpected behavior.