Can I use the variable name “type” as function argument in Python?

Question

Can I use type as a name for a python function argument?

def fun(name, type):
    ....

Answer 1

You can, but you shouldn't. It's not a good habit to use names of built-ins because they will override the name of the built-in in that scope. If you must use that word, modify it slightly for the given context.

While it probably won't matter for a small project that is not using type, it's better to stay out of the habit of using the names of keywords/built-ins. The Python Style Guide provides a solution for this if you absolutely must use a name that conflicts with a keyword:

single_trailing_underscore_: used by convention to avoid conflicts with Python keyword, e.g.

Tkinter.Toplevel(master, class_='ClassName')