Python – How to Deal with a Misnamed Function in Production Code

coding-standardsdeprecationpythonversion control

I've recently come across a Python library on GitHub. The library is great, but contains one glaring typo in a function name. Let's call it dummy_fuction() while it should be dummy_function(). This function is definitely "in the wild" and most likely used in embedded systems.

The first thing that springs to mind is to add a second version of the function with the correct name and add a deprecation warning to the first version for the next release.

Three questions:

  1. Could the approach above have any unintended consequences?
  2. Is there a standard approach to this kind of problem?
  3. How long should any deprecation warning be left in place?

Best Answer

First and foremost, the policy depends on the maintainer.

I think your question is interesting, but mostly opinion-based.

In my personal opinion your approach is sound - rename the function and leave the misspelled version as a deprecated artifact, redirecting to the correct one.

Could the approach above have any unintended consequences?

It could break the code eg. if someone couldn't stand the misspelling either and implemented a renamed version of their own. Now there'll be a name clash once they update the library.

Is there a standard approach to this kind of problem?

Don't make spelling mistakes when writing a library ;)

How long should any deprecation warning be left in place?

I believe the deprecation should be left in place until the next major release (when the first digit in version number is increased).

This is when some - justified - backward compatibility breaking is tolerable, and it's up to the library users to ensure their code still builds fine.

Just make sure to point it out in the changelog: guys, if you used dummy_fuction, replace it with dummy_function everywhere and you're good to go.

If the library isn't versioned, as it might be - it makes a good case to start versioning it.

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