Recently, I have been working on a Python project with usual directory structure, and have received help from someone else who has given me a code snippet (a single function definition, about 30 lines long) which I would like to import into my code. What is the most proper directory/location in a Python project to store borrowed code of this size? Is it best to store the snippet into an entirely different module and import it from there?
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Is there a reason why you can't just copy and paste it to wherever??wim– wim2013-12-31 00:11:51 +00:00Commented Dec 31, 2013 at 0:11
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2he is just talking best practices ... i dont think its necessarily defined ... but I would put it where it makes sense. if it belongs in its own module put it in one, if it belongs grouped with other stuff put it there ... but really this is going to be closed because its just opinion basedJoran Beasley– Joran Beasley2013-12-31 00:19:20 +00:00Commented Dec 31, 2013 at 0:19
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2 Answers
I generally find it easiest to put such code in a separate file, because for clarity you don't want more than one different copyright/licensing term to apply within a single file. So in Python this does indeed mean a separate module. Then the file can contain whatever attribution and other legal boilerplate you need.
As long as your file headers don't accidentally claim copyright on something to which you do not own the copyright, I don't think it's actually a legal problem to mix externally-licensed or public domain code into files you mostly own. I may be wrong, though, which is why I normally avoid giving myself reason to think about it. A comment saying "this is external code from the following source with the following license:" may well be clearer than dividing code into different files that naturally wouldn't be. So I do occasionally do that.
I don't see any definite need for a separate directory (or package) per separate external source. If that's already part of your project structure (that is, it already uses external libraries by incorporating their source) then I suppose you might as well continue the trend.
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I usually place scripts I copy off the internet in a folder/package called borrowed so I know all of the code here is stuff that I didn't write myself.
That is, if it's something more substantial than a one or two-liner demonstrating how something works.
