Just good advice? = WAS("Re: getting system date")

[Alex Martelli]

<posted & mailed>

David Broadwell wrote:
   ...
>> any other stray type -- few types would have append and sort methods
>> unless in a deliberate attempt to mimic lists, after all.
> And if it's trying to mimic a list then treating it like a list isn't an
> end of the world thing ...

Exactly: indeed, it's what SHOULD happen whenever feasible.


>> amateurish stints at sysadm'ing and marveled at the way a REAL sysadm
>> would often zero in on the root of a weird, "impossible" problem (on
>> the basis of their experience, clever paranoia, etc)
> That's called troubeshooting, and instinct and 'feel' are part of that
> data to troubshoot with.

Right.  For some reason it doesn't surprise me when e.g. a good auto
mechanic does it with my car (because I wouldn't know even where to
START doing the same thing myself;-), but it does, pleasantly, when
a good sysadm does it with my system or network (because I do have a
vague idea and amateur-level experience doing that sort of thing:-).


> I like the style, but have found a 'core refrence' to be very usefull too
> if something isn't in the nutshell. And then, with python you have a nice
> code base installed to grope (er, grep on windows).

grep on windows?  with cygwin or an add-on I guess;-).  But yes, the
Python online docs AND the Tools and Demo directories are a crucial
resource -- the Nutshell is necessarily selective and strives to give
you what you need 90%+ of the time, but there WILL be some percent of
the time when you need to go to the full Python reference or sources.

BTW, I heartily recommend getting the Python source distribution even
if you have zero interest in installing from it, just for the educational
value -- it includes more demos and tools, all precious examples, than
the binary installer does.  And THAT point is one I make in the Nutshell,
too, because most Windows users cannot know what they're missing when
they only get the binary installer...


> In any case, Thank Alex.

And again, you're welcome!


> (Correct if I'm wrong, but I hadn't realized that you were a writer ...
> suppose I should have.)

Heh, well, I guess you could take this up with my editor -- I suspect
there were many times when SHE had substantial trouble realizing I'm
a writer, too;-} (considering the amount of editing, correcting, and even
rewriting that she had to perform on my text -- a good editor's
contribution to a book should be emphasized much more than it often is!!!).


Alex