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<qhelp>

<overview>

<p> Normal methods should have at least one parameter and the first parameter should be called <code>self</code>.

This makes the purpose of the parameter clear to other developers.

</p>

</overview>

<recommendation>

<p>If there is at least one parameter, then change the name of the first parameter to <code>self</code> as recommended by the style guidelines

in PEP 8.</p>

<p>If there are no parameters, then it cannot be a normal method. It may need to be marked as a <code>staticmethod</code>

or it could be moved out of the class as a normal function.

</p>

</recommendation>

<example>

<p>The following methods can both be used to assign values to variables in a <code>point</code>

object. The second method makes the association clearer because the <code>self</code> parameter is

used.</p>

<sample src="NonSelf.py" />

</example>

<references>

<li>Python PEP 8: <a href="http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/#function-and-method-arguments">Function and

method arguments</a>.</li>

<li>Python Tutorial: <a href="http://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/classes.html">Classes</a>.</li>

</references>

</qhelp>