cognee/notebooks/data/zen_principles.md

The Zen of Python: Practical Guide

Overview

The Zen of Python (Tim Peters, import this) captures Python's philosophy. Use these principles as a checklist during design, coding, and reviews.

Key Principles With Guidance

1. Beautiful is better than ugly

Prefer descriptive names, clear structure, and consistent formatting.

2. Explicit is better than implicit

Be clear about behavior, imports, and types.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta

def get_future_date(days_ahead: int) -> datetime:
    return datetime.now() + timedelta(days=days_ahead)

3. Simple is better than complex

Choose straightforward solutions first.

4. Complex is better than complicated

When complexity is needed, organize it with clear abstractions.

5. Flat is better than nested

Use early returns to reduce indentation.

6. Sparse is better than dense

Give code room to breathe with whitespace.

7. Readability counts

Optimize for human readers; add docstrings for nontrivial code.

8. Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules

Stay consistent; exceptions should be rare and justified.

9. Although practicality beats purity

Prefer practical solutions that teams can maintain.

10. Errors should never pass silently

Handle exceptions explicitly; log with context.

11. Unless explicitly silenced

Silence only specific, acceptable errors and document why.

12. In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess

Require explicit inputs and behavior.

13. There should be one obvious way to do it

Prefer standard library patterns and idioms.

14. Although that way may not be obvious at first

Learn Python idioms; embrace clarity over novelty.

15. Now is better than never; 16. Never is often better than right now

Iterate, but don't rush broken code.

17/18. Hard to explain is bad; easy to explain is good

Prefer designs you can explain simply.

19. Namespaces are one honking great idea

Use modules/packages to separate concerns; avoid wildcard imports.

Modern Python Tie-ins

• Type hints reinforce explicitness
• Context managers enforce safe resource handling
• Dataclasses improve readability for data containers

Quick Review Checklist

• Is it readable and explicit?
• Is this the simplest working solution?
• Are errors explicit and logged?
• Are modules/namespaces used appropriately?