Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should

Python is a powerful language that provides many tools for creating highly dynamic programs. It offers tools all across the complexity spectrum that library authors can use to make their libraries seem convenient to use for users.

While it’s true that there are a wealth of techniques with huge positive benefits, there are a number of common antipatterns which can deceptively cause a net-loss in flexibility, readability, and predictability for users.

We’ll explore a few specific commonalities in this area of library and object API design, and talk about the ramifications they have on each of these programmer concerns.