Ten Essential Development Practices

[gyromagnetic]

The following url points to an article written by Damian Conway
entitled "Ten Essential Development Practices":
http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2005/07/14/bestpractices.html

Althought the article has Perl as a focus, I thought that some of the
general points made might be of interest to the Python community. It
would certainly be interesting to put together an analogous version of
this article that centers on Python.

Best Regards,
g

[Peter Hansen]

Dan Sommers wrote:

The Zen applies to all aspects of software
(and other things, too, but they're off topic here), from human readable
reports and requirements and documentation, to GUI's, to test cases, to
code, to database schemta, as well as the development methodology and
practices themselves.

Sometimes you have to look at the Zen sideways, so that "implementation "
appears to be replaced by the particular aspect or aspects (or the
software, or just software, as a whole, for the true Masters out there)
you happen to be working on at the time, but such is the nature of Zen.

It also applies to Motorcycle Maintenance, of course... (as in "Zen and
the Art of").

-Peter

[Robert Kern]

Dan Sommers wrote:

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 15:35:54 -0700,
Robert Kern <rk***@ucsd.edu > wrote:

That said, I made a boo-boo. The Zen of Python is really a set of
design principles (and some of them, like this one, are more
specificall y *language* design principles), not Essential Development
Practices. That'll teach me to not RTFA.
May I respectfully disagree?

No, I'm afraid that you may only disrespectfully disagree with me. I
will not tolerate politeness. Why? Uh, my .sig quote justifies rudeness!
Yes, that's it![1]
The Zen applies to all aspects of software
(and other things, too, but they're off topic here), from human readable
reports and requirements and documentation, to GUI's, to test cases, to
code, to database schemta, as well as the development methodology and
practices themselves.
Sure, and I can find programming advice in the Old Testament, too, if I
try hard enough[2]. But that doesn't change the fact that the "Essential
Development Practices" (e.g. "Use a source control system") are in a
different category than the Zen of Python (e.g. "Namespaces are one
honking great idea -- let's do more of those!"). Hence Michael Hoffman's
very good question about how he might embody that particular bit of Zen:
it's just not applicable to the things he's doing because it's a design
principle for Python the language, not about development (or even
design!) in general.

Of course other pieces of the Zen are more generally applicable
("Readabilit y counts.") as a "developmen t practice," but that's
something of an accident. Usually, they're about design, sometimes
specifically about the design of Python the language.
Sometimes you have to look at the Zen sideways, so that "implementation "
appears to be replaced by the particular aspect or aspects (or the
software, or just software, as a whole, for the true Masters out there)
you happen to be working on at the time, but such is the nature of Zen.

That's a bit too much navel-gazing for me. With enough effort, you make
anything a symbol of anything else. But that doesn't get any code written.

[1]
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...f205c9b6709163

[2] Proverbs 28:14 JPS "Happy is the man that feareth alway; but he that
hardeneth his heart shall fall into evil." Obviously an exhortation to
not ignore raised exceptions with "except: pass".

--
Robert Kern
rk***@ucsd.edu

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
-- Richard Harter

[Steve Holden]

Dan Sommers wrote:

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 15:35:54 -0700,
Robert Kern <rk***@ucsd.edu > wrote:

That said, I made a boo-boo. The Zen of Python is really a set of
design principles (and some of them, like this one, are more
specificall y *language* design principles), not Essential Development
Practices. That'll teach me to not RTFA.

May I respectfully disagree? The Zen applies to all aspects of software
(and other things, too, but they're off topic here), from human readable
reports and requirements and documentation, to GUI's, to test cases, to
code, to database schemta, as well as the development methodology and
practices themselves.

Sometimes you have to look at the Zen sideways, so that "implementation "
appears to be replaced by the particular aspect or aspects (or the
software, or just software, as a whole, for the true Masters out there)
you happen to be working on at the time, but such is the nature of Zen.

Regards,
Dan

If I canpoint out the obvious, the output from "import this" *is* headed
"The Zen of Python", so clearly it isn;t intended to be universal in its
applicability.

regards
Steve
--
Steve Holden [phone] [phone]
Holden Web LLC http://www.holdenweb.com/

[Michael Hudson]

Steve Holden <st***@holdenwe b.com> writes:

If I canpoint out the obvious, the output from "import this" *is*
headed "The Zen of Python", so clearly it isn;t intended to be
universal in its applicability.

It's also mistitled there, given that it was originally posted as '19
Pythonic Theses' and nailed to, erm, something.

Cheers,
mwh

--
Remember - if all you have is an axe, every problem looks
like hours of fun. -- Frossie
-- http://home.xnet.com/~raven/Sysadmin/ASR.Quotes.html

[Dan Sommers]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:08:15 +0100,
Steve Holden <st***@holdenwe b.com> wrote:

If I canpoint out the obvious, the output from "import this" *is*
headed "The Zen of Python", so clearly it isn;t intended to be
universal in its applicability.

Ok, not universal. But as usual, Zen is not easily nailed to a tree.

Was Tim writing about developing Python itself, or about developing
other programs with Python?

Regards,
Dan

--
Dan Sommers
<http://www.tombstoneze ro.net/dan/>

[Paolino]

gy**********@gm ail.com wrote:

The following url points to an article written by Damian Conway
entitled "Ten Essential Development Practices":
http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2005/07/14/bestpractices.html

Althought the article has Perl as a focus, I thought that some of the
general points made might be of interest to the Python community. It
would certainly be interesting to put together an analogous version of
this article that centers on Python.

Hmm, Perl is called a write once language, but it has thousands of
libraries.Any comment appreciated.

That said,those points are mixing different responsabilitie s in writing
code.I keep on mixing for fun:

-Writing libraries is not writing scripts.
-Writing readable,well structured,non redundant code is somewhat
perpendicular to tests.
-Writing tests is a must for more people to work on the same code.
-Deciding the interface and writing docs before coding can be bad for
experimental coding.
-Logic optimization can influence interfaces.
-Time optimization is a leverage to get paid in open source
software.Never think about that for free.

Paolino

_______________ _______________ _____
Yahoo! Mail: gratis 1GB per i messaggi e allegati da 10MB
http://mail.yahoo.it

[Tim Peters]

[Steve Holden]

If I canpoint out the obvious, the output from "import this" *is*
headed "The Zen of Python", so clearly it isn;t intended to be
universal in its applicability.

[Michael Hudson] It's also mistitled there, given that it was originally posted as '19
Pythonic Theses' and nailed to, erm, something.

'Twas actually posted as "20 Pythonic Theses", although most times I
count them I find19. Nevertheless, that there are in fact 20 was
channeled directly from Guido's perfectly Pythonic mind, so 20 there
must be. I suspect he withheld one -- although, as some argue, it's
possible he thinks in base 9.5, that just doesn't seem Pythonic to me.

[Tim Peters]

[Dan Sommers]

Ok, not universal. But as usual, Zen is not easily nailed to a tree.

Was Tim writing about developing Python itself, or about developing
other programs with Python?

Tim was channeling Guido, and that's as far as our certain knowledge
can go. It _seems_ reasonable to believe that since Guido's mind is,
by definition, perfectly Pythonic, any truth channeled from it
necessarily applies to all things Pythonic.

nevertheless-we-interpret-the-gods-at-our-peril-ly y'rs - tim

[Aahz]

In article <m2************ @unique.fully.q ualified.domain .name.yeah.righ t>,
Dan Sommers <[e-mail] > wrote:

Was Tim writing about developing Python itself, or about developing
other programs with Python?

Yes.

(C'mon, didja really expect any other answer?)
--
Aahz (aa**@pythoncra ft.com) <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/

The way to build large Python applications is to componentize and
loosely-couple the hell out of everything.

[Bill Mill]

<snip>

although, as some argue, it's
possible [GvR] thinks in base 9.5, that just doesn't seem Pythonic to me.

+1 QOTW

Peace
Bill Mill
bi*******@gmail .com