QOTW: "the DOM API is designed for consultants, not for humans or
computers" -- Fredrik Lundh giving solace to a confused DOM API user
QOTW: "Python enjoys making tradeoffs that drive *someone* crazy
<wink>" -- Michael Hudson's signature line attributed to Tim Peters
Discussion
----------
Alex Martelli shows the classic example for the "for-else"
construct:
<http://groups.google.com/gr************************************@news2.tin.i t>
Peter Hansen presents a simple solution to intercepting outgoing
SMTP traffic like some anti-virus programs do:
<http://groups.google.com/gr***************************@engcorp.com>
Descriptors puzzle Denis S. Otkidach; at first, Michael Hudson judges
his example a bug; then, Alex provides an external link to a clear
explanation; then Michael concludes all is in order and finds out that
the answer was already in the official docs. Moral: the new docs are
more complete than ever.
<http://groups.google.com/gr************************************************ *@python.org>
Alex Martelli demonstrates the basics of extending a class and
answers related questions about local variable scope and encapsulation:
<http://groups.google.com/gr************************************@news1.tin.i t>
Oren Tirosh neatly solves the problem of validating keyword argument
dictionaries:
<http://groups.google.com/gr**********************************************@p ython.org>
Shu-Hsien Sheu innocently asks when try/except is preferred to
if/then. The ensuing conversation nicely covers the most common
use cases, good program design, and Python's unique approach to
the subject:
<http://groups.google.com/gr************************************************ *@python.org>
Raymond Hettinger (yours truly) invites comments on PEP-322, reverse
iteration methods:
<http://groups.google.com/gr*******************************@nwrdny01.gnilink .net>
<http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0322.html>
Stephen Horne initiates threads discussing PEP-284 (integer for-loops)
and PEP-315 (Enhanced while loops):
<http://groups.google.com/gr***********************************************@ 4ax.com>
<http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0284.html>
<http://groups.google.com/gr***********************************************@ 4ax.com>
<http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0315.html>
Skip Montanaro's concept glossary was built by the community through
a wiki and then added to the tutorial. See the results at:
<http://www.python.org/dev/doc/devel/tut/node16.html>
This week's language change suggestions:
* adding an iterreverse() method to list, tuples, xrange, and strings
Releases
--------
Python 2.3.2c1 - release candidate for Python 2.3.2. Expect the
final release this week at:
<http://www.python.org/2.3.2/>
ZODB 3.2b2 - last new work and bugfixes before the ZODB 3.2 final
release:
<http://www.zope.org/Products/ZODB3.2>
wxPyPlot 1.2 -an enhanced derivative of wxPlotCanvas for lightweight
plotting in wxPython:
<http://www.cyberus.ca/~g_will/wxPython/wxpyplot.html>
DocIndexer 0.5.1.1 - toolkit (written in Python) for indexing and
searching document directories:
< http://www.methods.co.nz/docindexer/>
IbPy 0.2 - third-party implementation of the API used for accessing
the Interactive Brokers on-line trading system:
<http://ibpy.sourceforge.net/>
SciParam 1.0.1 - Python package to easily add additional quality
control for entering scientific parameters in wxPython-based user
interfaces.
<See http://great-er.intevation.org/sciparam/>
pylint 0.2 - source code checker for Python code:
<http://www.logilab.org/projects/pylint>
texd 0.4 - daemon form of PyTeX, a tool script generated
typesetting use TeX:
<http://cvs.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/texd/>
================================================== ======================
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
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.
comp.lang.python.announce announces new Python software. Be
sure to scan this newly-revitalized newsgroup at least weekly.
http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=d...ython.announce
Brett Cannon continues the marvelous tradition established by
Andrew Kuchling and Michael Hudson of 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/
The Python Business Forum "further[s] the interests of companies
that base their business on ... Python."
http://www.python-in-business.org
The Python Software Foundation has replaced the Python Consortium
as an independent nexus of activity
http://www.python.org/psf/
Cetus does much of the same
http://www.cetus-links.org/oo_python.html
Python FAQTS
http://python.faqts.com/
The old Python "To-Do List" now lives principally in a
SourceForge reincarnation.
http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid...70&func=browse
http://python.sourceforge.net/peps/pep-0042.html
The online Python Journal is posted at pythonjournal.cognizor.com.
ed****@pythonjournal.com and ed****@pythonjournal.cognizor.com
welcome submission of material that helps people's understanding
of Python use, and offer Web presentation of your work.
*Py: the Journal of the Python Language*
http://www.pyzine.com
Archive probing tricks of the trade:
http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=d...python&num=100
http://groups.google.com/groups?meta....lang.python.*
Previous - (U)se the (R)esource, (L)uke! - messages are listed here:
http://www.ddj.com/topics/pythonurl/
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
Suggestions/corrections for next week's posting are always welcome.
E-mail to <Py********@phaseit.net> should get through.
To receive a new issue of this posting in e-mail each Monday morning
(approximately), ask <cl****@phaseit.net> to subscribe. Mention
"Python-URL!".
-- The Python-URL! Team--
Dr. Dobb's Journal (http://www.ddj.com) is pleased to participate in and
sponsor the "Python-URL!" project.
