Do men and women have different styles of writing Python code

What is it about?

This study examines whether there is a difference in Python programming styles between gender groups. I examine available code on GitHub, a cloud-based hosting platform for collaboration known as version control, often used in open-source software development. First, I infer the gender of users from their usernames and the information provided on their profiles, labeling users as feminine, masculine, ambiguous, and anonymous. Anonymous users had no gender-based markers on their profiles, while ambiguous users had feminine and masculine characteristics. I then collect the publicly available projects of these users written in Python. Next, I analyze and generate statistics on Python files’ adherence to style guidelines using a linter, an automated checking of source code for programmatic and stylistic errors. My findings reveal a gendered difference in the structure and components of Python files. However, I also discovered no gender difference regarding violations of Python style guidelines and code quality. This study shows gender difference in Python programming styles but not in the standard or quality of the code.

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