💡 Top 10 Python Clean Code Practices

1. Use List Comprehensions for Simple Loops
(Replaces verbose for loops for creating lists.)

Cluttered Way:

squares = []
for i in range(10):
    squares.append(i * i)

Clean Way:

squares = [i * i for i in range(10)]

2. Use enumerate for Index and Value
(Avoids manual index tracking with range(len(...))).)

Cluttered Way:

items = ['a', 'b', 'c']
for i in range(len(items)):
    print(i, items[i])

Clean Way:

items = ['a', 'b', 'c']
for i, item in enumerate(items):
    print(i, item)

3. Use Context Managers for Resources
(Ensures resources like files are properly closed, even if errors occur.)

Cluttered Way:

f = open('my_file.txt', 'w')
try:
    f.write('hello world')
finally:
    f.close()

Clean Way:

with open('my_file.txt', 'w') as f:
    f.write('hello world')

4. Use Dictionary .get() for Safe Key Access
(Prevents KeyError and avoids verbose if key in dict checks.)

Cluttered Way:

my_dict = {'name': 'Alice'}
if 'age' in my_dict:
    age = my_dict['age']
else:
    age = 0

Clean Way:

my_dict = {'name': 'Alice'}
age = my_dict.get('age', 0)

5. Use F-Strings for Formatting
(More readable and often faster than other string formatting methods.)

Cluttered Way:

name = "Bob"
age = 30
message = "Hello, " + name + "! You are " + str(age) + " years old."
# Or: message = "Hello, {}! You are {} years old.".format(name, age)

Clean Way:

name = "Bob"
age = 30
message = f"Hello, {name}! You are {age} years old."

6. Use Unpacking to Swap Variables
(A concise, Pythonic way to swap values without a temporary variable.)

Cluttered Way:

a = 5
b = 10
temp = a
a = b
b = temp

Clean Way:

a = 5
b = 10
a, b = b, a

7. Check for Empty Sequences Correctly
(Leverages Python's "truthiness" for more readable code.)

Cluttered Way:

my_list = []
if len(my_list) == 0:
    print("List is empty!")

Clean Way:

my_list = []
if not my_list:
    print("List is empty!")

8. Use Underscores for Unused Variables
(Signals to other developers that a variable is intentionally ignored.)

Cluttered Way:

# 'i' is created but never used
for i in range(5):
    print("Hello")

Clean Way:

for _ in range(5):
    print("Hello")

9. Chain Comparison Operators
(Makes numerical range checks more intuitive and readable.)

Cluttered Way:

x = 10
if x > 5 and x < 15:
    print("x is between 5 and 15")

Clean Way:

x = 10
if 5 < x < 15:
    print("x is between 5 and 15")

10. Return from a Function Early
(Reduces nesting and improves readability by handling edge cases or invalid states first.)

Cluttered Way:

def process_data(data):
    if data is not None:
        if isinstance(data, list) and len(data) > 0:
            # ... deep nested logic here ...
            print("Processing data...")
            return "Done"
        else:
            return "Error: Invalid data format."
    else:
        return "Error: No data provided."

Clean Way: