Python-URL! - weekly Python news and links (Jul 28)

Tue Jul 28 16:07:29 CEST 2009

QOTW:  "But there's another principle at work here that's less well known, and
that was first articulated to me by Robert Dewar: You can remove linear
factors by profiling, but it's much harder to undo bad algorithmic decisions. 
In particular, whether a program runs in O(n) or O(n^2) sometimes depends on
decisions that have to be frozen fairly early in the design." - Andrew Koenig

    Comparing the performance of the same algorithm using many compilers:
    CPython, psyco, Cython, ShedSkin, Unladen Swallow, Java, C and D:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/8d793c46903cc0b6/

    MRAB has written a new implementation of re module with many new
    features, and he's looking for feedback:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/16c139b0a52ab023/

    Importing two modules with the same name from different directories:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/3cb83a30e1b2c202/

    Cleanly exiting an application, even if it gets killed by a signal:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/d60b8e0d93aeaaf9/

    How can a child thread notify a parent thread of its status?
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/d1d7f55716aacedc/

    How to attach a docstring to global constants/variables?
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/ac54186ad873036a/

    In Python -unlike other languages- it does not make sense to treat
    numbers (scalars) as vectors of length 1:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/3ef498c906bd7e2d/

    isinstance may take a tuple of types as its second argument: why a
    tuple, and not a list, or a set?
        http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2009-July/721205.html

    How to overcome the normal 2GB allocation limit of Windows XP, 32bits:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/59851df6e54f9ef0/

    Distinguishing active generators from exhausted ones:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/9ff179e8cb5e9bc/

    Peter Otten must be, undoubtedly, Sherlock Holmes reincarnated:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/838177c8a37d2b7c/

    And Piet van Oostrum is not much behind him:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/d1f8627413cd3c4e/

========================================================================
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

    Just beginning with Python?  This page is a great place to start:
	http://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide/Programmers

    The Python Papers aims to publish "the efforts of Python enthusiasts":
	http://pythonpapers.org/
    The Python Magazine is a technical monthly devoted to Python:
	http://pythonmagazine.com

    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/group/comp.lang.python.announce/topics

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

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

    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/donations/

    The Summary of Python Tracker Issues is an automatically generated
    report summarizing new bugs, closed ones, and patch submissions. 
        http://search.gmane.org/?author=status%40bugs.python.org&group=gmane.comp.python.devel&sort=date

    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://code.activestate.com/recipes/langs/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, see:
        http://www.python.org/channews.rdf
    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/

    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

    Enjoy the *Python Magazine*.
	http://pymag.phparch.com/

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

    Dr.Dobb's Portal is another source of Python news and articles:
        http://www.ddj.com/TechSearch/searchResults.jhtml?queryText=python
    and Python articles regularly appear at IBM DeveloperWorks:
        http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/search/searchResults.jsp?searchSite=dW&searchScope=dW&encodedQuery=python&rankprofile=8

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