Python-URL! - weekly Python news and links (May 16)

[Cameron Laird]

QOTW: "Sometimes you just have to take the path of least distaste". - Grant
Edwards

"I want to choose my words carefully here, so I'm not misunderstood. They're
a bunch of fucking idiots." - Charles Wang, billionaire chairman of software
giant Computer Associates, asked to assess the quality of Gartner's researchers


Even if you can't make it to the Mountain Zone this week,
you deserve to know what great topics turn up in in local
interest group sessions:
http://lists.community.tummy.com/pipermail/frpythoneers/2007-May/001356.html
http://wiki.python.org/moin/LocalUserGroups

Formation of identifiers with characters beyond the basic latin
codepage is a thorny issue:
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/ebb6bbb9cc833422/

While calldll (mostly?) compiles "out of the box", it's time to
move to ctypes:
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/49c3762e57ef3a06/

Well-styled object orientation involves more than just
inheritance--delegation, for example:
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/7bdd844a547d0f11


========================================================================
Everything Python-related you want is probably one or two clicks away in
these pages:

Python.org's Python Language Website is the traditional
center of Pythonia
http://www.python.org
Notice especially the master FAQ
http://www.python.org/doc/FAQ.html

PythonWare complements the digest you're reading with the
marvelous daily python url
http://www.pythonware.com/daily
Mygale is a news-gathering webcrawler that specializes in (new)
World-Wide Web articles related to Python.
http://www.awaretek.com/nowak/mygale.html
While cosmetically similar, Mygale and the Daily Python-URL
are utterly different in their technologies and generally in
their results.

For far, FAR more Python reading than any one mind should
absorb, much of it quite interesting, Planet Python indexes
much of the universe of Pybloggers.
http://www.planetpython.org/

The Python Papers aims to publish "the efforts of Python enthusiats".
http://pythonpapers.org/

Readers have recommended the "Planet" sites:
http://planetpython.org
http://planet.python.org

comp.lang.python.announce announces new Python software. Be
sure to scan this newsgroup weekly.
http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&as_ugroup=comp.lang.python.announce

Python411 indexes "podcasts ... to help people learn Python ..."
Updates appear more-than-weekly:
http://www.awaretek.com/python/index.html

Steve Bethard continues the marvelous tradition early borne by
Andrew Kuchling, Michael Hudson, Brett Cannon, Tony Meyer, and Tim
Lesher of intelligently summarizing action on the python-dev mailing
list once every other week.
http://www.python.org/dev/summary/

The Python Package Index catalogues packages.
http://www.python.org/pypi/

The somewhat older Vaults of Parnassus ambitiously collects references
to all sorts of Python resources.
http://www.vex.net/~x/parnassus/

Much of Python's real work takes place on Special-Interest Group
mailing lists
http://www.python.org/sigs/

Python Success Stories--from air-traffic control to on-line
match-making--can inspire you or decision-makers to whom you're
subject with a vision of what the language makes practical.
http://www.pythonology.com/success

The Python Software Foundation (PSF) has replaced the Python
Consortium as an independent nexus of activity. It has official
responsibility for Python's development and maintenance.
http://www.python.org/psf/
Among the ways you can support PSF is with a donation.
http://www.python.org/psf/donate.html

Kurt B. Kaiser publishes a weekly report on faults and patches.
http://www.google.com/groups?as_usubject=weekly python patch

Although unmaintained since 2002, the Cetus collection of Python
hyperlinks retains a few gems.
http://www.cetus-links.org/oo_python.html

Python FAQTS
http://python.faqts.com/

The Cookbook is a collaborative effort to capture useful and
interesting recipes.
http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/Cookbook/Python

Many Python conferences around the world are in preparation.
Watch this space for links to them.

Among several Python-oriented RSS/RDF feeds available are
http://www.python.org/channews.rdf
http://bootleg-rss.g-blog.net/pythonware_com_daily.pcgi
http://python.de/backend.php
For more, see
http://www.syndic8.com/feedlist.php?ShowMatch=python&ShowStatus=all
The old Python "To-Do List" now lives principally in a
SourceForge reincarnation.
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=355470&group_id=5470&func=browse
http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0042/

The online Python Journal is posted at pythonjournal.cognizor.com.
(e-mail address removed) and (e-mail address removed)
welcome submission of material that helps people's understanding
of Python use, and offer Web presentation of your work.

del.icio.us presents an intriguing approach to reference commentary.
It already aggregates quite a bit of Python intelligence.
http://del.icio.us/tag/python

*Py: the Journal of the Python Language*
http://www.pyzine.com

Archive probing tricks of the trade:
http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&as_ugroup=comp.lang.python&num=100
http://groups.google.com/groups?meta=site=groups&group=comp.lang.python.*

Previous - (U)se the (R)esource, (L)uke! - messages are listed here:
http://www.ddj.com/topic/python/ (requires subscription)
http://groups-beta.google.com/groups?q=python-url+group:comp.lang.python*&start=0&scoring=d&
http://purl.org/thecliff/python/url.html (dormant)
or
http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&as_q=+Python-URL!&as_ugroup=comp.lang.python
There is *not* an RSS for "Python-URL!"--at least not yet. Arguments
for and against are occasionally entertained.


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-- The Python-URL! Team--

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sponsor the "Python-URL!" project. Watch this space for upcoming
news about posting archives.

 

[Beliavsky]

QOTW: "Sometimes you just have to take the path of least distaste". - Grant
Edwards

"I want to choose my words carefully here, so I'm not misunderstood.

<rest snipped>

I think Cameron Laird does a good job with the Python digest but
blundered here. Why did he highlight a foul comment having nothing to
do with Python?

 

[Steve Holden]

<rest snipped>

I think Cameron Laird does a good job with the Python digest but
blundered here. Why did he highlight a foul comment having nothing to
do with Python?

In fact it *is* peripherally related, since Gartner are currently doing
a "survey" on dynamic languages, and there was a considerable effort
exerted just to make sure that most of the questions actually allowed
sensible comparisons between the various languages.

regards
Steve
--
Steve Holden +1 571 484 6266 +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC/Ltd http://www.holdenweb.com
Skype: holdenweb http://del.icio.us/steve.holden
------------------ Asciimercial ---------------------
Get on the web: Blog, lens and tag your way to fame!!
holdenweb.blogspot.com squidoo.com/pythonology
tagged items: del.icio.us/steve.holden/python
All these services currently offer free registration!
-------------- Thank You for Reading ----------------

 

[memracom]

PythonWare complements the digest you're reading with the

marvelous daily python url
http://www.pythonware.com/daily

Ha, ha, ha...

That is a good joke!

 

[Cameron Laird]

Ha, ha, ha...

That is a good joke!

'Wasn't meant that way.

While he doesn't make it explicit, I assume memracom is reacting
to the over-two-week hiatus in updates to The Daily Python-URL.
I confess I don't know what the prospects are for resumption of
the service; perhaps someone more knowledgeable will follow-up
here.

 

[Steve Holden]

In fact it *is* peripherally related, since Gartner are currently doing
a "survey" on dynamic languages, and there was a considerable effort
exerted just to make sure that most of the questions actually allowed
sensible comparisons between the various languages.

Please accept my apology: it's Forrester who are currently undertaking
the study on dynamic languages. Anyone interested in helping might look at

http://python-advocacy.blogspot.com/2007/05/need-help-in-preparing-for-study-of.html

and (now the study is underway)

http://python-advocacy.blogspot.com/2007/05/seeking-four-code-samples-for-forrester.html

regards
Steve
--
Steve Holden +1 571 484 6266 +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC/Ltd http://www.holdenweb.com
Skype: holdenweb http://del.icio.us/steve.holden
------------------ Asciimercial ---------------------
Get on the web: Blog, lens and tag your way to fame!!
holdenweb.blogspot.com squidoo.com/pythonology
tagged items: del.icio.us/steve.holden/python
All these services currently offer free registration!
-------------- Thank You for Reading ----------------

 

[Hendrik van Rooyen]

<rest snipped>

I think Cameron Laird does a good job with the Python digest but
blundered here. Why did he highlight a foul comment having nothing to
do with Python?

Because its funny - you normally only say "I choose my words carefully", when
you are about to say something that can be easily misconstrued, or that is
technically difficult to follow - That particular preamble prepares you mentally
for something difficult, and the coarse comment that follows is in such contrast
that it had me ROTFLMAO

- Hendrik

 

[Cameron Laird]

Please accept my apology: it's Forrester who are currently undertaking
the study on dynamic languages. Anyone interested in helping might look at

http://python-advocacy.blogspot.com/2007/05/need-help-in-preparing-for-study-of.html

and (now the study is underway)

http://python-advocacy.blogspot.com/2007/05/seeking-four-code-samples-for-forrester.html

.
.
.
I'll make a few personal comments.

I knew the choice of quotes was in questionable taste. I was
out to be provocative without being offensive, though. My
apologies to Mr. Beliavsky and anyone else I disappointed. On
the whole, I still think I constructed the QOTWs appropriately.

I have very little patience with The Analysts as a category. I
have friends and acquaintances in the business, and I respect
them individually. I am VERY skeptical about the sausage they
produce at an institutional level, and can only experience its
making for a few minutes at a time.

I know Gartner and Forrester are different--they really are.
For me, the differences pale in comparison to the dreary simi-
larities.

Many of the questions Forrester asks are ones that recur here
in comp.lang.python (and elsewhere). I think it's a *great*
time to comment on them in a lasting way, and I've set up <URL:
http://wiki.python.org/moin/What_ap...ifecycle'_are_available_to_Python_developers? >
to encourage that.

 

[Fred Pacquier]

(e-mail address removed) (Cameron Laird) said :

I'll make a few personal comments.

I knew the choice of quotes was in questionable taste. I was
out to be provocative without being offensive, though. My
apologies to Mr. Beliavsky and anyone else I disappointed. On
the whole, I still think I constructed the QOTWs appropriately.

I have very little patience with The Analysts as a category. I
have friends and acquaintances in the business, and I respect
them individually. I am VERY skeptical about the sausage they
produce at an institutional level, and can only experience its
making for a few minutes at a time.

I myself found that QOTW twice hilarious : once for whom it was directed
at, and once for whom it came from

Thanks for a good laugh !

 

[Grant Edwards]

<rest snipped>

I think Cameron Laird does a good job with the Python digest
but blundered here. Why did he highlight a foul comment having
nothing to do with Python?

Having stumbled across this discussion in mid-thread, I was
relieved to find out after following the thread upstream that
that the "foul comment" in question wasn't mine.

That said, I thought the other quote was rather amusing (both
in style and content).

I while I don't think that those "research" firms actually do
anything useful, I wouldn't call them idiots. They seem to have
figured out how to extract sizable amounts of money from
corporate types by providing them with compilations of useless
generalizations and meaningless pseudo-statistics. The people
paying them are probably the ones more deserving of derision.