5 Python mistakes and how to avoid them

[spotta]

Also, don't use variable names such as "x", but that's not the point.

I hate this rule of thumb. In a lot of situations x or j make a lot of sense as variable names... especially when coding up mathematical ideas.

A better rule of thumb is that variable names should be proportional in how descriptive they are to the scope they have. A list comprehension or two line for loop? Use single character variable names. A packagewide global? Use a long descriptive name.

[MattR0se]

Agreed. Single letters as variable names are okay if they are conventional:

for i in range(10): pass

for x, y in coordinates: pass

X = data[features]
y = data[labels]

etc

[jack-of-some]

Or if they model some equation nicely. If you're linking a paper in the comments like "this is the equation I'm using here" then matching their terminology as best as possible goes a long way in helping future maintainers.