Python-URL! - weekly Python news and links (Aug 25)

QOTW:  "Python is a programming language, not an ice cream shop." - Steven
D'Aprano, 2011-08-10, on providing the language with just "more choices"


    Comparing the relative speed of `i += 1` and `i = i + 1`
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    Efficiently split and process a large string:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    Fastest way to do string concatenation:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    An unexpected interaction between function scope and class namespace:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...

    The GIL, once again:
	http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2011-August/1...
    
    Three language proposals:
        allow line breaks at operators (very long thread!):
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
        repeat the right hand side value of assignment statements, as needed:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
        issue warnings when builtin names are hidden:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    How to generate and send mails: a step by step tutorial
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    Best practices when dealing with unknown exceptions:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    When using extended slicing, behavior of negative stop values is not fully
    intuitive:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    It's not easy to check a folder for write access on Windows:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    Advice on how long a function should be:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    It is relatively easy to confuse the import machinery and make import fail:
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    Non-local variables and exec/eval: a clarification
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    
    An original idea: pure-python templates using the AST
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/browse_th...
    

========================================================================
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

    Just beginning with Python?  This page is a great place to start:
	http://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide/Programmers

    Planet Python:  you want to visit there:
	http://planet.python.org
    But don't confuse it with Planet SciPy:
	http://planet.scipy.org
    And don't confuse *that* with SciPyTip, a high-quality daily (!) tip
    for the numerically-inclined:
	http://twitter.com/SciPyTip

    Python Insider is the official blog of the Python core development
    team:
	http://pyfound.blogspot.com/2011/03/python-dev-launches-p...

    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/
    Keep up with the PSF at "Python Software Foundation News":
	http://pyfound.blogspot.com

    The Python Papers aims to publish "the efforts of Python enthusiasts":
	http://pythonpapers.org/

    Doug Hellman's "Module of the week" is essential reading:
	http://www.doughellmann.com/PyMOTW/

    comp.lang.python.announce announces new Python software.  Be
    sure to scan this newsgroup weekly.
        http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python.announce/...

    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/

    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 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&...

    nullege is an interesting search Web application, with the intelligence
    to distinguish between Python code and comments.  It provides what
    appear to be relevant results, and demands neither Java nor CSS be
    enabled:
	http://www.nullege.com

    Although unmaintained since 2002, the Cetus collection of Python
    hyperlinks retains a few gems.
        http://www.cetus-links.org/oo_python.html

    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&...
    The old Python "To-Do List" now lives principally in a
    SourceForge reincarnation.
        http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=355470&group_id=...
	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

    At least one of the Python magazines is explicitly multilingual:
        http://www.python.org/ar/

    PythonWare complemented the digest you're reading with the
    marvelous daily python url.  While it's now ... dormant, it still
    has plenty of interesting reading.
         http://www.pythonware.com/daily

    Python articles regularly appear at IBM DeveloperWorks:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/search/searchResults.js...

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