Papers on Python

[Rick]

I have been given an assignment to collect 5 papers on Python and
write a report on each of the papers. I went ahead and researched and
collected 9 papers; all from the internet with most of them coming
from the International Python Conference.

But then I got thinking. What are the 5 (or 6 or 7 or 10) most seminal
papers in the history of Python in the opinion of members of this
newgroups?

I might replace all or some of my papers from those suggested by the
members on this newsgroup.

-RH
PS. Before someone starts on how college kids are using the internet
(or the help available on the 'net) to do the work for them, No I am
not cheating. The actual assignment is to select 9 papers that you
find interesting and write a report on each of them. I already have my
9 papers selected. Now I want to know if I would like to replace some
from my collection.

 

[Andrew Dalke]

Rick:

But then I got thinking. What are the 5 (or 6 or 7 or 10) most seminal
papers in the history of Python in the opinion of members of this
newgroups?

- Lutz Prechelt's paper comparing C, C++, Perl, Java, Tcl, Python, and
a couple more languages, all on the same non-trivial task

- Greg Stein's paper at the San Jose conference (1998), on how his
company used Python to make a commercial web app then sold it
to Microsoft - helped convince me people could make money doing Python

- not really a paper, but reading through the tutorial and the library
docs
back in 1997 were what convinced me that Python was the language for
me.
It still took 2 years before I could use it -- too much preexisting Tcl
and Perl
code.

Andrew
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Bryan]

I have been given an assignment to collect 5 papers on Python and
write a report on each of the papers. I went ahead and researched and
collected 9 papers; all from the internet with most of them coming
from the International Python Conference.

But then I got thinking. What are the 5 (or 6 or 7 or 10) most seminal
papers in the history of Python in the opinion of members of this
newgroups?

I might replace all or some of my papers from those suggested by the
members on this newsgroup.

-RH
PS. Before someone starts on how college kids are using the internet
(or the help available on the 'net) to do the work for them, No I am
not cheating. The actual assignment is to select 9 papers that you
find interesting and write a report on each of them. I already have my
9 papers selected. Now I want to know if I would like to replace some
from my collection.

my two personal favorite articles are:

eric raymond's "why python"
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=3882

Python Streamlines Space Shuttle Mission Design
http://pythonology.org/success&story=usa

bryan

 

[Anton Vredegoor]

PS. Before someone starts on how college kids are using the internet
(or the help available on the 'net) to do the work for them, No I am
not cheating. The actual assignment is to select 9 papers that you
find interesting and write a report on each of them. I already have my
9 papers selected. Now I want to know if I would like to replace some
from my collection.

Why not take 9 threads in this newsgroup or the Python developers
mailing list and write a report on that? Of course you'd have to
convince your teacher somehow that this is the way things work
nowadays and that the days where a single author wrote a monolithic
paper are gone.

Knowledge production and decision making are much more interactive and
hands-on than before, and discussions involve a lot more people of
varying degrees of expertise and having a more diverse background.

If it makes any difference: I would love to see some threads reviewed,
especially threads that have had some time to cool down and that can
be viewed from some distance now. Post the result of your assignment
here, you'll get free error checking this way and at the same time you
prove that the system works by interacting with it. Isn't it Pythonic


Anton.

 

[Bryan]

Why not take 9 threads in this newsgroup or the Python developers
mailing list and write a report on that? Of course you'd have to
convince your teacher somehow that this is the way things work
nowadays and that the days where a single author wrote a monolithic
paper are gone.

Knowledge production and decision making are much more interactive and
hands-on than before, and discussions involve a lot more people of
varying degrees of expertise and having a more diverse background.

If it makes any difference: I would love to see some threads reviewed,
especially threads that have had some time to cool down and that can
be viewed from some distance now. Post the result of your assignment
here, you'll get free error checking this way and at the same time you
prove that the system works by interacting with it. Isn't it Pythonic


Anton.

anton, excellant idea. here are the most recent 3 threads that contain over
100 postings... must be good "report material" in these...

201 postings
anything like C++ references

130 postings
does lack of type declarations make Python unsafe? - has

130 postings
opening a text document to show a .txt file through a browser link

bryan

 

[Cameron Laird]

Rick:

- Lutz Prechelt's paper comparing C, C++, Perl, Java, Tcl, Python, and
a couple more languages, all on the same non-trivial task

- Greg Stein's paper at the San Jose conference (1998), on how his
company used Python to make a commercial web app then sold it
to Microsoft - helped convince me people could make money doing Python

- not really a paper, but reading through the tutorial and the library
docs
back in 1997 were what convinced me that Python was the language for
me.
It still took 2 years before I could use it -- too much preexisting Tcl
and Perl
code.

.
.
.
Somewhere between academic papers and Usenet discussions,
examples of each of which have already been recommended to
you, are magazine articles. Last millenium, I wrote several
that *still* appear to attract readers, to my surprise. If
my e-mail is an apt indication,
"Python as a First Language"
www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2000/06/02/magazine/python_first_language.html

"Getting Started With Python"
web.archive.org/web/20010201170400/http://www.sunworld.com/sunworldonline/swol-02-1998/swol-02-python.html

"Batteries Included"
web.archive.org/web/20001013152452/http://sunworld.com/swol-12-1998/swol-12-regex.html

are among those influential out of proportion to their artistic
merit.

 

[Cameron Laird]

Rick:

- Lutz Prechelt's paper comparing C, C++, Perl, Java, Tcl, Python, and
a couple more languages, all on the same non-trivial task

- Greg Stein's paper at the San Jose conference (1998), on how his
company used Python to make a commercial web app then sold it
to Microsoft - helped convince me people could make money doing Python

- not really a paper, but reading through the tutorial and the library
docs
back in 1997 were what convinced me that Python was the language for
me.
It still took 2 years before I could use it -- too much preexisting Tcl
and Perl
code.

.
.
.
Somewhere between academic papers and Usenet discussions,
examples of each of which have already been recommended to
you, are magazine articles. Last millenium, I wrote several
that *still* appear to attract readers, to my surprise. If
my e-mail is an apt indication,

"Python as a First Language"
www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2000/06/02/magazine/python_first_language.html

"Getting Started With Python"
web.archive.org/web/20010201170400/http://www.sunworld.com/sunworldonline/swol-02-1998/swol-02-python.html

"Batteries Included"
web.archive.org/web/20001013152452/http://sunworld.com/swol-12-1998/swol-12-regex.html

are among those influential out of proportion to their artistic
merit.

 

[Raymond Hettinger]

I have been given an assignment to collect 5 papers on Python and
write a report on each of the papers. I went ahead and researched and
collected 9 papers; all from the internet with most of them coming
from the International Python Conference.

But then I got thinking. What are the 5 (or 6 or 7 or 10) most seminal
papers in the history of Python in the opinion of members of this
newgroups?

Hmm, do PEPs count as papers? They are generally written by experts,
are well referenced, have a standardized format, go through peer review,
have a clear record of their disposition (influence as measured by
actual implementation), and represent an attempt to keep Python on
the cutting edge of technology.



Raymond Hettinger