Python AMA 6 Questions

Tuesday March 23, the Python study group will be a Python AMA, with @Ned Batchelder (Deactivated) as the answerer. To ensure best answers, or just to spur other people to think of questions, you can write your questions on this page.

The Anything really means Anything: the language, the standard library, the culture, the community, other libraries like Django, and so on.

Previous AMAs:

• https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/createpage.action?spaceKey=~ned&title=Python%20AMA%201%20Questions

• https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/createpage.action?spaceKey=~ned&title=Python%20AMA%202%20Questions

• https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/createpage.action?spaceKey=~ned&title=Python%20AMA%203%20Questions

• https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/pages/createpage.action?spaceKey=~ned&title=Python%20AMA%204%20Questions

• Python AMA 5 Questions

Example Question:

• Q: Python was originally developed by Guido van Rossum 30 years ago, and he is still central to its development today. Is it true that his brother is Just van Rossum, a type designer who co-developed DrawBot, a graphical Python-based tool for designers to explore programmatic graphic design?

  • A: Yes.

Actual Questions:

• How much time do you spend to develop coverage? How do you manage time for a personal open source project.

• What is your recommendation for libraries to package Python code for a personal project?

• What are your thoughts on how pattern matching is being added to Python?

• Do you think now that Guido has tried to get out of being the king of Python, that over time there is going to be a fundamental drift on the Zen of Python? In particular, do you think soon there will be multiple ways to do a lot of things?

• Do you think edX could benefit from using other implementations of Python? PyPy, Jython, Cython, and so on? Or would this just be a mess?

• What are the proudest and least proud pieces of Python code you’ve ever written, and why?

• Is it possible to create better architecture using Python? as compared with Java or other choices?

• What is the thing you have encountered the most that most people think are correct but are actually wrong in Python?

• What would you improve about the Python community in general?

• Has python lived up to its original promise/why do you think python caught on?

• What are your thoughts on MyPy / type annotations and how has that changed since the last time we asked you that question?

• Are there any things that edX has written in Javascript which would benefit from being rewritten in Python or vice versa?

• Have you met Just van Rossum before?

• What are your favorite/least favorite design decisions in how the edX codebase is setup? Why?

• What is pycontracts?

• Why do you hate the term scripting language?