The Hitchhiker's Guide to Python

Appendix A. Additional Notes

Python’s Community

Python has a rich, inclusive, global community dedicated to diversity.

BDFL

Guido van Rossum, the creator of Python, is often referred to as the BDFL—the Benevolent Dictator for Life.

Python Software Foundation

The mission of the Python Software Foundation (PSF) is to promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers. To learn more, see the PSF’s main page.

PEPs

PEPs are Python Enhancement Proposals. They describe changes to Python itself, or the standards around it. People interested in Python’s history, or in language design in general, would find them all really interesting—even the ones that eventually get rejected. There are three different types of PEPs, defined in PEP 1:

Standards

Standards PEPs describe a new feature or implementation.

Informational

Informational PEPs describe a design issue, general guidelines, or information to the community.

Process

Process PEPs describe a process related to Python.

Notable PEPs

There are a few PEPs that could be considered required reading:

PEP 8—Style Guide for Python Code

Read this. All of it. Follow it. The pep8 tool will help.

PEP 20—The Zen of Python

PEP 20 is a list of 19 statements that briefly explain the philosophy behind Python.

PEP 257—Docstring conventions

PEP 257 contains the guidelines for semantics and conventions ...