comment

Comments are explanatory text that Python ignores when executing code. They help make code more readable and maintainable.

Single-Line Comments

  • Start with a hash symbol (#)
  • Python ignores everything after the # on that line
Python 
# This is a single-line comment
x = 5  # This comment is after some code

# You can use multiple single-line comments
# to explain something over several lines
# like this

Triple-Quoted Strings

  • While Python doesn’t have true multi-line comments, triple-quoted strings (''' or """) are often used similarly
  • Typically used for documentation strings (docstrings)
Python 
def calculate_area(radius):
    """
    This is a docstring - a special type of multi-line comment
    that describes what a function does

    Args:
        radius: The radius of the circle
    Returns:
        The area of the circle
    """
    return 3.14 * radius * radius

Commenting Best Practices

  • Write clear, concise comments that explain “why” rather than “what”
  • Keep comments up-to-date with code changes
  • Use comments to explain complex logic or important decisions
  • Avoid obvious comments that just restate the code
Writing Comments in Python (Guide)

Tutorial

Writing Comments in Python (Guide)

Learn how to write Python comments that are clean, concise, and useful. Quickly get up to speed on what the best practices are, which types of comments it's best to avoid, and how you can practice writing cleaner comments.

basics best-practices

For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources:

By Dan Bader • Updated Jan. 8, 2025
Python Glossary Share Feedback