Python name mangling

Question

In other languages, a general guideline that helps produce better code is always make everything as hidden as possible. If in doubt about whether a variable should be privat

Answer 1

At first glance it should be the same as for other languages (under "other" I mean Java or C++), but it isn't.

In Java you made private all variables that shouldn't be accessible outside. In the same time in Python you can't achieve this since there is no "privateness" (as one of Python principles says - "We're all adults"). So double underscore means only "Guys, do not use this field directly". The same meaning has singe underscore, which in the same time doesn't cause any headache when you have to inherit from considered class (just an example of possible problem caused by double underscore).

So, I'd recommend you to use single underscore by default for "private" members.