Underscore after a variable name in Python

Question

I am deciphering someone else's code and I see the following:

def get_set_string(set_):
     if PY3:
         return str(set_)
     else:
         return str(set_)

Does the underscore AFTER the variable mean anything or is this just a part of the variable's name and means nothing?

It's to distinguish it from set, the built-in set type, to avoid shadowing the name - "single_trailing_underscore_ : used by convention to avoid conflicts with Python keyword". — jonrsharpe
– jonrsharpe, Commented Aug 23, 2016 at 19:40

Community · Accepted Answer · 2020-06-20 09:12:55Z

75

No semantics are associated with a trailing underscore. According to PEP 8, the style guide for Python, users are urged to use trailing underscores in order to not conflict with Python keywords and/or Python built-ins:

single_trailing_underscore_ : used by convention to avoid conflicts with Python keyword, e.g.

Tkinter.Toplevel(master, class_='ClassName')

Using set_ means that the built-in name for sets, i.e set, won't get shadowed and lose its known reference during the function call.

edited Jun 20, 2020 at 9:12

CommunityBot

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answered Aug 23, 2016 at 19:45

Dimitris Fasarakis Hilliard

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Comments

Israel Unterman · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-23 19:41:03Z

12

It means nothing. I believe the one who wrote this wanted a variable name designating a set, but set is a type in Python (which creates a set), so he added the underscore.

answered Aug 23, 2016 at 19:41

Israel Unterman

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