Comments

In many cases, code may not be immediately understandable to every team member. To improve code readability and maintainability, you can insert comments into your code by using a hash (#) followed by your description. During runtime, Python completely ignores these comments, meaning they serve solely as documentation for developers or your future self.

When you need to include a multi-line comment, be sure to begin every line with a hash. Omitting the hash on any line may cause Python to interpret the text as executable code, which can result in syntax errors.

Below is an example that demonstrates effective commenting:

>>> amount_of_apples = 2  # Amount in basket
# The cost of an apple in USD
# This value should always be an integer
>>> cost_of_apple = 5

Comments are also useful for temporarily disabling parts of your code. For example, if you comment out the assignment to the cost_of_apple variable, Python will skip creating it. Any subsequent operation that references cost_of_apple will trigger an error. Consider the snippet below:

>>> amount_of_apples = 2
>>> # cost_of_apple = 5
>>> print(amount_of_apples * cost_of_apple)
NameError: name 'cost_of_apple' is not defined

In summary, comments are a vital tool for enhancing code clarity and providing additional context for code functionality. However, always strive for simplicity by writing self-explanatory code that minimizes the need for excessive inline comments.

That's it for now. It's time to gain some hands-on practice.