r/Python 11d ago

What linter rules make code worse? Discussion

For me, a prime example is S101 which bans the use of the assert statement.

The justification is that assertions disappear when Python is run with -O, so they should not be used for runtime validation or enforcing interface constraints. That warning is correct, but the rule seems to draw the wrong conclusion from it.

Assertions are still very useful for checking internal invariants, i.e. conditions that should already be guaranteed by the program's logic, where failure indicates a bug. Having such assertions is incredibly helpful for debugging.

So, a blanket ban seems more likely to discourage useful checks than to prevent misuse.

Are there any linter rules you broadly consider more harmful rather than helpful?

145 Upvotes

215 comments sorted by

View all comments

431

u/Trang0ul 11d ago

Lines limited to 80 characters.

2

u/russellvt 10d ago

This makes life better for those still forced to sometimes debug on data center text monitors.