Stay ConnectedA weekly Python podcast hosted by Christopher Bailey with interviews, coding tips, and conversation with guests from the Python community.
The show covers a wide range of topics including Python programming best practices, career tips, and related software development topics. Join us every Friday morning to hear what’s new in the world of Python programming and become a more effective Pythonista.
Copyright: © 2020 Real Python
What if you could create an application and deploy it to the web with just Python? Wouldn’t it be nice to skip the additional full-stack development steps of learning three different languages in addition to Python? That’s the idea behind Anvil. This week on the show, we have Meredydd Luff, co-founder of Anvil.
We talk about the history of Anvil and how the founders wanted to simplify web app creation. We discuss their choice to make the project open source and how it benefited the project’s development. We also cover creating a portfolio of projects and things that employers look for in the hiring process.
Course Spotlight: Python’s map() Function: Transforming Iterables
In this step-by-step course, you’ll learn how Python’s map() works and how to use it effectively in your programs. You’ll also learn how to use list comprehension and generator expressions to replace map() in a Pythonic and efficient way.
Topics:
Show Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
How do you know you’re using the correct data structure for your Python project? There are so many built into Python and even more that are importable from the collections module. This week on the show, David Amos is back, and he’s brought another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects. We discuss a recent three-part video course on selecting the ideal data structure.
Along with comparing the types of dictionaries, data records, arrays, stacks, and more, David covers a recent Real Python article about the namedtuple. This deep dive covers how to use the namedtuple to write cleaner code.
We also discuss new articles from previous guest Brett Cannon. He has added two posts to his Python syntactic sugar series about unravelling the pass and with statement.
We cover several other articles and projects from the Python community including, async in Flask 2.0, Python projects on Github that are examples of best practices and good architecture, how SpaceX sort of lands starship, the new ti-84 calculator with Python, and building a Python spell checker.
Spotlight: Stacks and Queues: Selecting the Ideal Data Structure
In this course, you’ll learn about three of Python’s data structures: stacks, queue and priority queues. You’ll look at multiple types and classes for all of these and learn which implementations are best for your specific use cases.
Topics:
Show Links:
Write Pythonic and Clean Code With namedtuple – In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn what Python’s namedtuple is and how to use it in your code. You’ll also learn about the main differences between named tuples and other data structures, such as dictionaries, data classes, and typed named tuples.
Unravelling the pass Statement – When you need to indicate that a bit of code intentionally does nothing, then you need to reach for Python’s pass statement. In the latest installment of Brett’s “Syntactic Sugar” series, you’ll learn how pass works, when to use it, and why it’s a uniquely Python concept.
Unravelling the with statement
Async in Flask 2.0 – This article looks at Flask 2.0’s new async functionality and how to leverage it in your Flask projects. You’ll learn how Flask processes requests asynchronously using a traditional WSGI server, instead of the ASGI server used by many other async web frameworks. You’ll also learn how to simulate Flask 2.0 async in Flask 1.X applications.
Python Projects on Github That Are Examples of Best Practices and Good Architecture – This Reddit thread is full of GitHub repos that might make for some good code reading.
How SpaceX Lands Starship (Sort Of) – While waiting for SN15 to launch, Thomas Goddard set out to pull together a 2-dimensional simulation of the Starship landing. Tying together knowledge of trajectory optimization, Thomas modeled the landing in Python with the CasADI library and used Matplotlib to generate an animation which, when played side-by-side with the footage of the landing, results in remarkable similarity to the actual landing dynamics.
Stacks and Queues: Selecting the Ideal Data Structure – Learn about three of Python’s data structures: stacks, queue and priority queues. You’ll look at multiple types and classes for all of these and learn which implementations are best for your specific use cases.
Projects:
Additional Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
Would you move your data science project from a laptop to the cloud? Would you also like to have snapshots of your project saved along the way so that you can go back in time or share the state of your project with another team member? This week on the show, we have Savin Goyal from Netflix. Savin is the technical lead for machine learning infrastructure at Netflix. He joins us to talk about Metaflow, an open-source tool to simplify building, managing, and scaling data science projects.
Metaflow addresses the needs of the numerous data scientists who work at Netflix. Machine learning is key strength for the streaming service. They tried several existing tools to scale their own internal infrastructure and after this experimentation developed Metaflow.
We talk about the history of the project and how someone could get started with the open-source version. Savin also contrasts the cost of infrastructure as compared to data scientists and the cost of their time.
Course Spotlight: Simplify Python GUI Development With PySimpleGUI
In this step-by-step course, you’ll learn how to create a cross-platform graphical user interface (GUI) using Python and PySimpleGUI. A graphical user interface is an application that has buttons, windows, and lots of other elements that the user can use to interact with your application.
Topics:
Show Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
Did you know the Python Software Foundation is hiring! With the recent support of three Visionary Sponsors, the PSF has been able to open positions for a developer-in-residence and a Python packaging project manager. Real Python now has a monthly Python news article. Frequent guest of the show, David Amos compiles and summarizes the biggest Python news from the past month.
This week on the show, David Amos is back, and he’s brought another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects. We discuss David’s news article from the last month. We also discuss previous guest Jon Fincher’s new step-by-step tutorial about creating a platform game with the arcade framework.
We cover several other articles and projects from the Python community including, how to use ipywidgets to make your Jupyter notebook interactive, the hidden performance overhead of Python C extensions, adding else to for loops, film simulations from scratch using Python, a gradual programming language named Hedy, and a Python raytracer.
Spotlight: CPython Internals: Your Guide to the Python 3 Interpreter
Unlock the Inner Workings of the Python Language, Compile the Python Interpreter From Source Code, And Participate in the Development of CPython
Topics:
Show Links:
How to Use ipywidgets to Make Your Jupyter Notebook Interactive – Jupyter Notebooks are great for exploratory data analysis. They’re also a good way to share results and analysis with other people, who can alter the notebook to further explore the data themselves. But there are some limitations to notebook interactivity. That’s where ipywidgets comes in! In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create widgets like check boxes, drop-down menus, sliders, and how to handle events like button clicks.
Build a Platform Game in Python With arcade – Building games can be a fun way to learn new Python concepts and practice techniques you’ve already learned. Plus, they make for great projects to share! This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to build a platform game using the arcade library. You’ll learn techniques for designing levels, sourcing assets, and implementing advanced features
The Hidden Performance Overhead of Python C Extensions – It’s no secret that Python is slower than compiled languages like C, C++, and Rust. If you need a performance boost, you can write compiled Python C extensions. But there are some hidden performance costs that you should be aware of if you decide to do this. This article explains two ways that Python C extensions can actually be slower than pure Python and discusses some solutions and work around for them.
For-Else: A Weird but Useful Feature in Python – Python for loops have an unusual feature: they support an else block that only executes if there is no break in the loop. The pattern isn’t used very often with the argument against it being that it is a bit weird and potentially difficult to understand. But there may be times when for/else makes sense. This article presents three situations where for/else is useful and argues that, in these situations, the pattern makes the code more readable.
Python News: What’s New From April 2021? – April 2021 was an eventful month in the world of Python. In this article, you’ll get up to speed on everything that happened in the past month, including new sponsorships for the PSF, changes to Python error messages, and a community-led discussion over the future of type annotations.
Film Simulations From Scratch Using Python – In analog photography, you can achieve different “looks” for your photographs by selecting different kinds of film to shoot with. Digital camera manufacturers often include different presets to simulate different kinds of film. In this article, you’ll learn how to simulate different films on your own images using color lookup tables, or CLUTs, using NumPy and the Pillow image library.
Projects:
Additional Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
Are you interested in learning more about Django? Would you like to meet other professionals and learn how they are using Django? DjangoCon Europe 2021 is virtual this year, and you can join in from anywhere in the world. This week on the show, we have Miguel Magalhães and David Vaz, two of the organizers of the conference.
We discuss what makes DjangoCon Europe unique. David and Miguel talk about how they got involved and how the conference passes between different countries. They also cover the struggle of upending their plans for hosting the conference in Porto Portugal last year and how this year could use some extra support.
Tickets are available now. DjangoCon Europe is looking for additional sponsors. If you work for an organization that can help, get in contact with them.
Course Spotlight: Get Started With Django: Build a Portfolio App
In this course, you’ll learn the basics of creating powerful web applications with Django, a Python web framework. You’ll build a portfolio website to showcase your web development projects, complete with a fully functioning blog.
Topics:
Show Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
This week’s show is a bit different. We are taking a well-deserved short break, but we still wanted to share an episode with you. This rewind episode highlights clips from the many interviews over the past year or so of the show.
We also hear from many new listeners who have just discovered the show. Welcome aboard! We wanted to provide a sample of guests, topics, and questions we feature on the show.
For long-time listeners, this will be a brisk walk through past episodes and guests. We’ve talked with many guests, and it was hard to narrow it down to the sample provided here. We hope you enjoy this podcast rewind, and look forward to sharing a fantastic slate of upcoming guests.
Course Spotlight: Plot With Pandas: Python Data Visualization Basics
In this course, you’ll get to know the basic plotting possibilities that Python provides in the popular data analysis library pandas. You’ll learn about the different kinds of plots that pandas offers, how to use them for data exploration, and which types of plots are best for certain use cases.
Topics:
Show Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
Are you interested in creating video games but feel limited in what you can accomplish within Python? Is there a platform where you can take advantage of your Python skills and provide the benefits of a dedicated game engine? This week on the show, we have Paweł Fertyk. Paweł is a Real Python author and has been creating games as Miskatonic Studio for several years now.
Paweł has worked with PyGame. We recently featured his article on creating a clone of Asteroids in a previous episode. After working with PyGame for a while, he also tried a visual novel engine named Ren’Py, and Panda3D.
After struggling within these Python libraries, he started to look for an open-source game engine that could help him create the types of games he was striving to create. He found Godot and its Python-like scripting language of GDScript. We talk about his creations, the tools, and how game development is not exactly like most other types of development.
Course Spotlight: Make a 2D Side-Scroller Game With PyGame
In this step-by-step course, you’ll learn how to use PyGame. This library allows you to create games and rich multimedia programs in Python. You’ll learn how to draw items on your screen, implement collision detection, handle user input, and much more!
Topics:
Show Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
Are you looking for a bit of order when working with dictionaries in Python? Are you aware that the Python dict has changed over the last several versions and now keeps items in order? Could you learn more about object-oriented programming in Python by comparing it to another language? This week on the show, David Amos is back, and he’s brought another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects.
David covers a Real Python article about the differences between the OrderedDict versus a standard dictionary. We discuss a recent video course about how object-oriented programming in Python compares to Java.
We cover several other articles and projects from the Python community including, what is Werkzeug, building a full-text search engine in 150 lines of Python code, loading SQL data into pandas without running out of memory, how to beat the Berlin rental market with a Python script, replacing print with ice cream, and the new version of CircuitPython and Mu.
Course Spotlight: Python vs Java: Object Oriented Programming
In this step-by-step course, you’ll learn about the practical differences in Python vs Java for object-oriented programming. By the end, you’ll be able to apply your knowledge to Python, understand how to reinterpret your understanding of Java objects to Python, and use objects in a Pythonic way.
Topics:
Show Links:
OrderedDict vs dict in Python: The Right Tool for the Job – In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn what Python’s OrderedDict is and how to use it in your code. You’ll also learn about the main differences between regular dictionaries and ordered dictionaries.
What is Werkzeug? – Have you ever noticed that when you install Flask a dependency called Werkzeug is also installed? Werkzeug provides a set of utilities for building a WSGI interface in Python, which is an important part of any web application. This article will take you on a deep dive of Werkzeug and show you exactly how it works so you can have a deeper understanding of Flask applications.
Building a Full-Text Search Engine in 150 Lines of Python Code – Go from data preparation to search engine in just a few lines of Python.
Loading SQL Data Into Pandas Without Running Out of Memory – If you need to load a bunch of SQL query results into a Pandas DataFrame, then you might run into a problem if there are enough rows in the SQL query’s results: it won’t fit in RAM. Panda’s read_sql() function has a batching option, but it loads all of the data into memory, too. So, how do you handle larger-than-memory queries with Pandas? This article will show you how!
How I Beat the Berlin Rental Market With a Python Script – Learn how one Python developer used a Python script to analyze the housing market in Berlin and predict when a property would be sold or when the price would be decreased. While the article doesn’t include a lot of technical details, it’s a great case study of how Python, its rich ecosystem, and a little creativity can turn solving a banal problem — like searching for a new house in a crowded market — into something fun and intellectually rewarding!
Python vs Java: Object Oriented Programming – You may have heard that “everything is an object in Python.” But what does that mean for doing object oriented programming? If you’re coming to Python with a Java background, you’ll want to check out this course to learn how to reinterpret your understanding of Java objects to Python, and use objects in a Pythonic way.
Projects:
Additional Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
Do you think it’s time to refactor your Python code? What should you think about before starting this task? This week on the show, we have Brendan Maginnis and Nick Thapen from Sourcery. Sourcery is an automated refactoring tool that integrates into your IDE and suggests improvements to your code.
Nick and Brendan provide advice on how to start refactoring and setting achievable code objectives. We discuss setting up unit testing and building confidence that you aren’t changing your code’s fundamental meaning. We also talk about technical debt and how it can creep into your organization’s projects.
Course Spotlight: Python Booleans: Leveraging the Values of Truth
In this course, you’ll learn about the built-in Python Boolean data type, which is used to represent the truth value of an expression. You’ll see how to use Booleans to compare values, check for identity and membership, and control the flow of your programs with conditionals.
Topics:
Show Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
Do you know how a neural network functions? What goes into building one from scratch using Python? This week on the show, David Amos is back, and he’s brought another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects.
David talks about a recent Real Python article titled “Python AI: How to Build a Neural Network & Make Predictions.” This article covers how to train a neural network and create a linear regression model.
We also cover several articles about testing in Python including, writing unit tests, testing code in Jupyter notebooks, and a testing style guide.
We cover several other articles and projects from the Python community including, how to build an Asteroids game with Python and Pygame, a 5-point framework for Python performance management, how it helps to know a Python programmer if you want a vaccination appointment, a Flask mega-tutorial, and the new release of SQLAlchemy.
Course Spotlight: Python Coding Interviews: Tips & Best Practices
In this step-by-step course, you’ll learn how to take your Python coding interview skills to the next level and use Python’s built-in functions and modules to solve problems faster and more easily.
Topics:
Show Links:
Build an Asteroids Game With Python and Pygame – Build a clone of the Asteroids game in Python using Pygame. Step by step, you’ll add images, input handling, game logic, sounds, and text to your program.
Python AI: How to Build a Neural Network & Make Predictions – Build a neural network from scratch as an introduction to the world of artificial intelligence (AI) in Python. You’ll learn how to train your neural network and make accurate predictions based on a given dataset.
How to Write Unit Tests in Python, Part 1: Fizz Buzz – Get an introduction to unit testing in Python from the author of the Flask Megatutorial.
A 5-Point Framework For Python Performance Management – “Performance testing — like sailboat racing — depends on the conditions along the racecourse.”
Unit Testing Python Code in Jupyter Notebooks – Even if you code in Jupyter notebooks, there’s no excuse to not be testing your code!
Python Testing Style Guide – Need a quick yet thorough guide to testing? This excellent resource is for you.
Want a vaccination appointment? It helps to know a Python programmer – Programmers are writing scripts to help find vaccine appointments for those who are eligible.
Projects:
Additional Links:
Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses:
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
