[chirp_devel] Naming convention for class fields?

[Stuart Longland VK4MSL]

On 16/5/23 10:32, Craig Jones via chirp_devel wrote:
> FYI: I stand corrected. I reread PEP8. One leading underscore is meant
> to say protected, not private. Thus, it is part of the subclass API.
> It's double leading underscores that means completely private.

Double leading underscore normally refers to things that are special to 
Python.  Things like `__len__` (implements `len()`), `__repr__`, etc 
which implement various operators.

Or deeply internal things like `__slots__` which is used to define what 
attributes a class instance has so it can be "set in stone" as a 
`struct` rather than using a `dict` implementation which consumes more 
memory.

In general:

- leading underscore → private/protected (not enforced)
- UPPER_CASE_WITH_UNDERSCORES → constant

`_model` as a class attribute suggests the attribute might sometimes 
change to reference something else, but it is otherwise 
private/protected.  `_MODEL` might be better if we know it won't change 
-- but the interpreter does not care; such designations are just for us 
meat bags to better understand what's going on.
-- 
Stuart Longland (aka Redhatter, VK4MSL)

I haven't lost my mind...
   ...it's backed up on a tape somewhere.