Example: api.rst — The trianglelib API reference

Routines for working with triangles.

The two modules inside of this package are packed with useful features for the programmer who needs to support triangles:

shape

This module provides a full-fledged Triangle object that can be instantiated and then asked to provide all sorts of information about its properties.

utils

For the programmer in a hurry, this module offers quick functions that take as arguments the three side lengths of a triangle, and perform a quick computation without the programmer having to make the extra step of creating an object.

The “shape” module

class trianglelib.shape.Triangle(a, b, c)

A triangle is a three-sided polygon.

You instantiate a Triangle by providing exactly three lengths a, b, and c. They can either be intergers or floating-point numbers, and should be listed clockwise around the triangle. If the three lengths cannot make a valid triangle, then ValueError will be raised instead.

>>> from trianglelib.shape import Triangle
>>> t = Triangle(3, 4, 5)
>>> print t.is_equilateral()
False
>>> print t.area()
6.0

Triangles support the following attributes, operators, and methods.

a

b

c

The three side lengths provided during instantiation.

triangle1 == triangle2

Returns true if the two triangles have sides of the same lengths, in the same order. Note that it is okay if the two triangles happen to start their list of sides at a different corner; 3,4,5 is the same triangle as 4,5,3 but neither of these are the same triangle as their mirror image 5,4,3.

area()

Return the area of this triangle.

is_equilateral()

Return whether this triangle is equilateral.

is_isosceles()

Return whether this triangle is isoceles.

is_similar(triangle)

Return whether this triangle is similar to another triangle.

perimeter()

Return the perimeter of this triangle.

scale(factor)

Return a new triangle, factor times the size of this one.

The “utils” module

Routines to test triangle properties without explicit instantiation.

trianglelib.utils.compute_area(a, b, c)

Return the area of the triangle with side lengths a, b, and c.

If the three lengths provided cannot be the sides of a triangle, then the area 0 is returned.

trianglelib.utils.compute_perimeter(a, b, c)

Return the perimeer of the triangle with side lengths a, b, and c.

If the three lengths provided cannot be the sides of a triangle, then the perimeter 0 is returned.

trianglelib.utils.is_equilateral(a, b, c)

Return whether lengths a, b, and c are an equilateral triangle.

trianglelib.utils.is_isosceles(a, b, c)

Return whether lengths a, b, and c are an isosceles triangle.

trianglelib.utils.is_triangle(a, b, c)

Return whether lengths a, b, c can be the sides of a triangle.