Does this code follow Python coding standards\style and idioms?

Question

I have written this code in log.py.

import logging
import os


# make directory
directory = 'logs'
if not os.path.exists(directory):
  os.makedirs(directory)

# create logger
logger = logging.getLogger('testfile')
logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)


loghandler = logging.FileHandler(directory + '\log.txt')

# create formatter
formatter = logging.Formatter('%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s')

# add formatter to loghandler
loghandler.setFormatter(formatter)

# add loghandler to logger
logger.addHandler(loghandler)

Now, user can use this in any module like

import log
log.logger.warn("gjh")

Eli Bendersky · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-02 06:39:44Z

3

You're creating a whole module for a single global object. If you want to save code, just have a function that creates it:

def make_logger():
  logger = logging.getLogger('testfile')
  # initializations...
  # ...
  return logger

logger = make_logger()
logger.warn('ghj')

With keyword arguments and default values, you can also easily customize its creation if such a need arises (and it probably will arise as your program gets more complex).

answered May 2, 2011 at 6:39

Eli Bendersky

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2 Comments

ruskin Over a year ago

But, won't it create a new object every time I call make_logger() from different modules? Does it not matter?

Eli Bendersky Over a year ago

@ruskin: so use an object and pass around a reference to it. I would still not make a module just for the logging object. Some top-level object/module must be creating the logger anyway, so it can "own" it and pass around to other modules needing it

6502 · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-02 06:50:36Z

2

I see a couple of problems

Apparently you are indenting using two spaces and this is a crime in Python
You are using '\log.txt' that works just because a lowercase L has no special meaning as a control character. Better to use the os-specific path construction function instead (see os.path.join)

answered May 2, 2011 at 6:50

6502

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Comments

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 12:19:00Z

1

regarding the coding style I would recommend to use dedicated tools. There have been some posts before, for example this one: PyLint, PyChecker or PyFlakes?

Personally I prefer to use pylint with a configuration file adapted to some things that I want to be followed in my projects (e. g. special variable names). If you want to have a quick look, try pep8.

Best regards, Rainer

edited May 23, 2017 at 12:19

CommunityBot

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answered May 2, 2011 at 6:49

dubbaluga

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