Python Code Quality – Is It Pythonic to Have Multiple Classes in One File?

code smellcode-qualitypython

In working with python for the first time, I've found that I end up writing multiple classes in the same file, which is opposed to other languages like Java, which uses one file per class.

Usually, these classes are made up of 1 abstract base class, with 1-2 concrete implementations who's use varies slightly. I've posted one such file below:

class Logger(object):

    def __init__(self, path, fileName):
        self.logFile = open(path + '/' + filename, 'w+')
        self.logFile.seek(0, 2)

    def log(self, stringtoLog):
        self.logFile.write(stringToLog)

    def __del__(self):
        self.logFile.close()

class TestLogger(Logger):   

    def __init__(self, serialNumber):
        Logger.__init__('/tests/ModuleName', serialNumber):

    def readStatusLine(self):
        self.logFile.seek(0,0)
        statusLine = self.logFile.readLine()
        self.logFile.seek(0,2)
        return StatusLine

    def modifyStatusLine(self, newStatusLine):
        self.logFile.seek(0,0)
        self.logFile.write(newStatusLine)
        self.logFile.seek(0,2)

class GenericLogger(Logger):

    def __init__(self, fileName):
        Logger.__init__('/tests/GPIO', fileName):

    def logGPIOError(self, errorCode):
        self.logFile.write(str(errorCode))

As seen above, I have a Logger base class, with a couple of implementation differences below that.

The Question:
Is this standard for python, or for any language? What problems could arise from using this implementation if any?

EDIT: I'm not really looking for guidance on this specific file, but in a more general sense. What if the classes ended up being 3-5 moderately complex methods? Would it make sense to split them then? Where is the cutoff for saying you should split a file up?

Best Answer

It's fine. It's fine in C++ as well, for reference.

Keeping tightly-coupled things together is sensible practice. Avoiding inappropriate coupling is also good practice. Striking the right balance isn't a matter of strict rules, but of, well, striking a balance between different concerns.

Some rules of thumb:

  1. Size

    Excessively large files can be ugly, but that's hardly the case here. Ugliness is probably a good enough reason to split a file, but developing that aesthetic sense is largely a matter of experience, so it doesn't help you figure out what to do a priori

  2. Separation of Concerns

    If your concrete implementations have very different internal concerns, your single file accumulates all those concerns. For example, implementations with non-overlapping dependencies make your single file depend on the union of all those dependencies.

    So, it might sometimes be reasonable to consider the sub-classes' coupling to their dependencies outweighs their coupling to the interface (or conversely, the concern of implementing an interface is weaker than the concerns internal to that implementation).

    As a specific example, take a generic database interface. Concrete implementations using an in-memory DB, an SQL RDBMS and a web query respectively may have nothing in common apart from the interface, and forcing everyone who wants the lightweight in-memory version to also import an SQL library is nasty.

  3. Encapsulation

    Although you can write well-encapsulated classes in the same module, it could encourage unnecessary coupling just because you have access to implementation details that wouldn't otherwise be exported outside the module.

    This is just poor style I think, but you could enforce better discipline by splitting the module if you really can't break the habit.

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