Python-URL! - weekly Python news and links (Oct 21)

[Gabriel Genellina]

QOTW:  "Trust me. Sean is absolutely correct. I'm currently in the process
of converting a large Perl project to Python (and learning Python at the
same time) and the improvement in code is incredible.  After you learn
Python, you'll come to despise Perl." - Pat
    http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/667b00a4964237c8
    
    
    A class decorator is a better choice than a metaclass for some tasks,
    according to R. Hettinger:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/2619be0766e5cf75/
    
    Dealing with character encodings other than ASCII still appears to
    be hard:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/51376149681d3c52/
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/44bc715ec177fac6/
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/d3b5bdaf51248b3/
    
    Alternative ways to work with a database - other than plain DBAPI or
    using an ORM:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/bc2e76e8f06c5ab4/
    
    Default mutable arguments, newbies that never read docs, and antigravity 
    (continued from previous week):
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/a103cc269cec69dd/
    
    Call-by-value? Call-by-reference? Call-by-object? Call-by-name? Which is
    the right term?
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/6163956596a8c082/
    
    Using reversed domain names as package identifiers is discouraged:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/dc77e7c775295654/
    
    Python certification: should exist? would it be a good thing?
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_thread/thread/83b0fb9fe9f42ba3/
    

========================================================================
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 enthusiats":
	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/

    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/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

    *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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