How to Get Almost All the Python You Might Need

I am often asked what is the easiest way to build Python environments. For development purposes it's most convenient to have a "batteries included" environment that can be pared down once development is over. Continuum Analytics have for a while offered an open source project called Anaconda to provide easy access to both Python and the batteries.

If you are a Python professional and you get questions from people who would like to try the language I would suggest that the graphical installer would be most appropriate. For anyone familiar with the command line, the command-line installer is not only slightly smaller but allows the scripted creation of disposable Python environments which you can activate just by adding their bin subdirectory at the start of your path.

The video should explain this in detail.

In the video I create a disposable environment under /tmp. Anaconda environments are far heavier than a standard virtual environment, but they offer a huge variety of Python libraries without ever having to understand the complexities of package installation.

[For a more selective installation utility see How to Get the Bits of Python You Need Where You Want Them]

Python Training Day Feedback

After a day at The Church House I am happy to say that the Intermediate Python repository is in much better shape to move forwards.

Work on the Repository
About eight people turned up throughout the day, with the stalwarts being Kevin Dwyer and João Miguel Neves. With their help I investigated some thorny problems I had created for myself in the area of git filtering. It turns out that there is a subtle bug in Python's JSON generation which has existed for quite a long time.

We eventually worked around it by adding import simplejson as json for now, though I suspect a better fix might be to explicitly add a separator specification. Anyway, with that change the filtering then started to work predictably, and we could move forward with a review of the notebook contents to ensure that changes I made during the teaching were incorporated into the main code base.

With three of us hacking away that work didn't take very long, but before it could commence there was a certain amount of git-wrangling that I confess I probably wouldn't have managed anywhere near as quickly without Kevin's and João's help.

Training Market Discussions
All in all quite a success, and we also spent time discussing the UK training market for Python. I've a few more ideas now about how to approach that market, but if you, dear reader, have any ideas I would be happy to here them either in the comments below or through my web site's contact page.

Thank You
Thanks to everyone who turned up or merely wished the enterprise well. I am really looking forward to spending more time in the UK and helping to encourage even more Python use. Thanks also to the staff at The Church House for their excellent attention. We couldn't have been better taken care of.

UK Python Training Open Day and Lunch

Regular readers (both?) know that I live in the USA but hail from the UK, where I still return regularly to stay in touch with family and friends. So to dip a toe in the UK training waters I booked a room (rather a nice one, as those who have attended other events I organized will not be surprised to learn) and put out an announcement that I was running a Python Programming Skills Lab. You could have booked a place here. Of course if this were the movies, the spirit of “if you build it they will come” would rule and I could welcome those wishing to drink at the Python fount. But it isn't.

So

a) I am not a marketing genius;
b) this is not the movies.

Result: I am now planning to spend the day in said reserved room, working on my current open source project, whose sadly neglected repository can be found in a weed-infested corner of Github. This is the code I used as a script for the videos which (if you are reading my blog) you should see advertised up at top right. The code is presented as iPython Notebooks, and only some of them are properly documented in interspersed Markdown cells, so if I end up spending the day alone then at least some sensible purpose will have been served.

With that in mind the Skills Lab is now metamorphosing into an open Python Training Day. I understand this is very short notice (I'm not very good at operations either, go figure), but if you have any interest in either receiving Python training or having such training presented to a target group I would be delighted to talk with you on Tuesday December 9, 2014 at any time between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm at the Church House Conference Centre in Westminster.

If you would like to join me for lunch then please sign up (there are 12 places for lunch) and arrive no later than 12:30. If you simply want to drop in and say hello (or, better still, help work on the codebase) then feel free to arrive at any time during the advertised hours and stay as long as you like (but please do sign up for lunch if you plan to eat). It would be helpful if you reserved a drop-in place even if you aren't coming to eat. Those with an interest in beer might want to arrive towards the end of the proceedings so a post-event excursion to a licensed hostelry can be entertained if appropriate.

The room reserved for this event is absolutely delightful, with a view across the Dean's Yard. I welcome all Python friends and anyone who would like to get to know me professionally to visit at some convenient time during that day. But do remember to reserve a place if you want lunch!

I have had very little time to work on the Github repository since the videos were shot, and yearn for an army of Internet interns to help me improve what I believe are useful open-source training materials. In the absence of visitors that day, any spare time I have on that day will go to improve the Notebooks, so at the very least the curated Notebook collection will become more useful.

Intermediate Python: An Open Source Documentation Project

There is a huge demand for Python training materials, and there are many people who just don't have the spare cash to buy books or videos. That's one reason why, in conjunction with a new Intermediate Python video series I have just recorded for O'Reilly Media I am launching a new, open source, documentation project.

My intention in recording the videos was to produce a broad set of materials (the linked O'Reilly page contains a good summary of the contents). I figure that most Python programmers will receive excellent value for money even if they already know 75% of the content. Those to whom more is new will see a correspondingly greater benefit. But I was also keenly aware that many Python learners, particularly those in less-developed economies, would find the price of the videos prohibitive.

With O'Reilly's contractual approval the code that I used in the video modules, in IPython Notebooks, is going up on Github under a Creative Commons license [EDIT: The initial repository is now available and I very much look forward to hearing from readers and potential contributors - it's perfectly OK if you just want to read the notebooks, but any comments yuu have about your experiences will be read and responded to as time is available]. Some of it already contains markdown annotations among the code, other notebooks have little or no commentary. My intention is that ultimately the content will become more comprehensive than the videos, since I am using the video scripts as a starting point.

I hope that both learner programmers and experienced hands will help me turn it into a resource that groups and individuals all over the world can use to learn more about Python with no fees required. The current repository has to be brought up to date after a rapid spate of editing during the three-day recording session. It should go without saying that viewer input will be very welcome, since the most valuable opinions and information comes from those who have actually tried to use the videos to help them learn.

I hope this will also be a project that sees contributions from documentation professionals (and beginners they can help train), so I will be asking the WriteTheDocs NA team how we can lure some of those bright minds in.

Sadly it's unlikely I will be able to see their talented array of speakers as I will still be recovering from surgery. But a small party one evening or a brunch at the office might be possible. Knowing them it will likely involve sponsorship or beer. Or both. We shall see.

I think it's a worthwhile goal to have free intermediate-level Python sample code available, and I can't think of a better way for a relative beginner to get into an open source project. I also like the idea that two communities can come together over it and learn from each other. Suffice it to say, if there are enough people with a hundred bucks* in their pocket for a six-hour video training I am happy to use part of my share in the profits to support this project to some degree.

[DISCLOSURE: The author will receive a proportion of any profit from the O'Reilly Intermediate Python video series]

* This figure was plucked from the air before publication, and is still a good guideline, though as PyCon opened (Apr 11) a special deal was available on a package of both Jessica McKellar's Introduction to Python and my Intermediate Python.

Promoting and Supporting Open Source

I was a little surprised today to discover that my Twitter buds mostly hadn't heard I had moved to Portland, and when I thought about it I realized that blog readers had no way to know either, since although I have been talking about the move a lot I have been too busy to write about it. This condition still holds, really, so this is a sketch for now.

In order to engage the Portland business, government and open source communities I organized a reception a couple of weeks ago, which also represented the announcement of a new business, The Open Bastion. As you can see from the web site we are still in well, not exactly stealth mode, but it's early days yet. I am happy to say that the reception appears to have started many conversations abut open source, which I will be following up on as they develop.

Why Portland? Well, I have been feeling the pull of the West coast for some time, and have visited Portland quite a but recently, including running DjangoCon US there last September. So the plan for the new business is to organize and run technical events–conferences, presentations, training sessions. There is also a very active Python user group here, which I attended shortly after my arrival in the city as one of about forty people there that evening. Portland likes to think of itself as the open source capital, but I want it to put its money where its mouth is.

Portland, being a conference city, is marvelously well endowed with venues. I am happy to say that it appears to be a city that values its heritage and it still has many fine original buildings, which makes the place a pleasure to walk around. With excellent public transport (including a fare-free zone in the center to discourage the use of private cars) it's a wonderful place to live and to visit, and I am looking forward to spending time here.

I will be keeping in touch with the East coast, too, by spending roughly a  quarter of my time in New York, where I expect technical events will also be required. We are, of course, equally happy to help you with events in the location of your choice. So if you are thinking about running a technical sales presentation, or a conference, or any other similar sort of event and you would like someone to take the organization off your hands, drop me a line. I am "sholden at theopenbastion dot com".

New Python Class Available

I am happy to announce that the O'Reilly School of Technology have made the first of four Python classes available on their interactive teaching system. Students passing all four modules will be eligible to receive a Certificate for Professional Development from the University of Illinois' Office of Continuing Education.

The PSF has discussed certification schemes in the past, and the general feeling of the membership appeared to be against them. This may be true for high-level personnel and those with advanced degrees, but we should remember that Python will also be increasingly used by technicians and others whose formal educational background does not include a training in computer programming. I feel that a university-approved certification will be helpful at that level.

While many certifications aren't that meritorious, if a scheme requires proper practical experience and the training includes mentoring by live instructors or advisers rather than just the passing of a multiple-choice examination it can have some real value.

Time will tell, but I believe we will have passed a milestone once a university-accredited Python certification scheme is available. All I have to do now is write the other three courses ...

[NOTE: the author of this blog will receive royalties based on the number of students taking the classes mentioned in this article]

Reaching Out to the .NET World

If you know people, particularly in New York city, who work with Microsoft's .Net environment I'd be grateful if you could make them aware of Michael Foord's .NET: IronPython from the Ground Up class, running on January 21.

My main contacts with the .NET world are currently limited to the SharePoint environment (yes, you can use the SharePoint APIs from IronPython), and I suspect (but do not know) that the .NET world isn't quite as heavily imbued with the open source ethos as the Linux/UNIX world is.

I think we still need to get the word out. Despite all the noise about the DLR introduction (including excellent publicity in MSDN magazine), plus the availability of IronPython and IronRuby, dynamic languages don't yet appear to have the traction in the .NET space that they do in the Unix world.

Or am I talking through my hat? I've written before that I think the Windows environment is a great platform for supporting open source applications -- if you think about it, it's the logical way to put open source on the majority of desktops.

The event should also be of interest to the existing Python user base who want to be free from some of the CPython implementation's current restrictions. Here are some of the reasons why you might consider IronPython:

* Using Python libraries from .NET
* Using .NET libraries from Python
* Writing multi-threaded Python code without a GIL
* Embedding IronPython in .NET applications for user scripting
* Exploring new assemblies and classes with the interactive interpreter
* System administration and scripting
* Developing for Silverlight (Python in the browser)

I've been a Resolver user for over a year now, and I've been impressed with IronPython's stability and usability. It would be nice to see more .NET users at PyCon

Note: the seminar linked above is a commercial activity of Holden Web LLC

Starting 2010 With a Bang

Holden Web's first one-day workshop was, thanks to Jacob Kaplan Moss, a sell-out success. As a result, and partially due to some excellent feedback from the New York City Python Meetup group, we will be running the same workshop in New York on January 22, again with Jacob presenting. We are also offering a one-day IronPython workshop presented by Michael Foord on January 21.

Since the three-day Introduction to Python classes have been well-received in Virginia we are also offering that class in New York on January 18-20.

To try and make things easier for those attending and smooth out our administration we are using Eventbrite for the first time. I would really like to know how easy people find it to get information about our classes and to enroll for them. Anyone wanting specific information not mentioned in the course outlines is, of course, welcome to contact us for further details.

If you would like to take one of these classes simply follow the links above (or click here for a list of all our current offerings, then just go to the ones you are interested in) and click the Order Now button which should be clearly visible. Once you have entered the details click the Review Your Order button, and you have fifteen minutes to check that you have entered the correct information before you click the Pay Now button. It really couldn't be much easier, I hope.

We are also very interested to know what other event you would like us to run. This is the front end of a new venture for Holden Web, and your opinions and requirements (places you'd like to attend presentations as well as other topics) will help us to move in the right direction. So feel free to contact us with your suggestions, or make them in comments below. Thanks in advance for the feedback.

Python for Systems Hackers

Given by David Beazley, Chicago. 3 days, August 17-19 (next week). Details here.

Python Training for Scientists

[Disclosure: Enthought and Holden Web have discussed joint training plans in the past. No commercial agreements are currently in force.]

If you're a scientist and you want to use computers as more that just calculators then you just might want to learn Python. So you could take the Holden Web Introduction to Python class, or you could take two extra days and go to the Python for Scientists class at Enthought.

New Training Policy

OK, from now on every public Holden Web Python class is going to have at least two free places available for open source programmers. We are running a quarterly schedule right now. The next Introduction to Python class runs on yet-to-be-announced dates in September: the June class was canceled due to bereavement.

If you know someone who might benefit, please ask them to contact me to get themselves on the waiting list.

Free Python Training

Free training worth $1,195? Yes, it's true, though naturally this offer isn't just for anyone. But if you want to learn Python for nothing and you are (or can be) close to Washington DC next week, this could be your chance.

I'd like to spread Python even further throughout the open source world, and Holden Web is running a three-day Introduction to Python class with open places next week (Tuesday March 3 to Thursday March 5). If you are a contributor to an existing open source project then please contact me to confirm your place.

That's it. The only requirement is that you must have already made public contributions to some open source project. My decision on who gets free places is final and I reserve the right to accept or refuse any application. The number of free places is limited. If you need accommodation that will be your responsibility. To thank you for your open source work Holden Web will even provide your course notes, and a free lunch each day of class.

Pythonistas: if there's anyone in the open source world you'd like to learn Python, please let them know about this possibly one-time-only offer.

If anyone would like to buy a place on the class, of course, we'll be happy to accommodate you there too! Just click the handy dandy buy now button on the courses page to get started!

Would You Buy Training on eBay?

We have spare places on next week's Introduction to Python class, and given that our costs are covered I am thinking of offering the remaining places with a fairly low reserve on eBay. Is this a good idea?

Final "Introduction to Python" of 2008

As the year draws to a close Holden Web is pleased to remind readers that its final public "Introduction to Python" class of this year will be held from December 9-11 at our education center close to Washington, DC.

There are several hotels conveniently located within walking distance, and we provide breakfast snacks and lunch each day.

Purchase places on-line by credit card or using PayPal.

Thanks to all students who have already attended this class. We look forward to meeting you again as our range of course offerings increases.

July 8-10 Course Purchases

Please note: if you have attempted to purchase a place on our class on July 8-10, the purchase button was taking you to a page that showed the original (June) dates for the class. We have now changed this to agree with the current schedule, so you will see the correct dates on the purchase page. Please accept our apologies for any confusion.

No matter which button you used, if you have purchased a place on the class you should shortly receive a confirmation letter for your place on the class.

"Introduction to Python" Class: July 8-10

Holden Web is pleased to announce its second public "Introduction to Python" class in the Washington, DC area. Intended for those with some programming background, the class gives you a working knowledge of the Python language reinforced by hands-on practical exercises. The class will be taught by Steve Holden, consultant, trainer and author of Python Web Programming.

If you know anyone who needs to learn Python (and who doesn't?), please point them to the registration page.

Divmod Partnership

Occasional readers may not remember how energized I was after my Teach Me Twisted session at PyCon this year, but I definitely wanted to follow it up with more. Audience members from that session will need no convincing that my ignorance of Twisted was almost total, but I am happy to say that it has now diminished a little. Determined effort on both sides has now yielded a training strategy for teaching other people Twisted too.

Twisted training will benefit from an analysis of the concepts that allows us to present them in the order required for specific understanding by a given client group. Divmod and Holden Web are jointly developing presentations that should make Twisted concepts approachable for a wider audience.

I am really looking forward to getting into some joint projects with the guys at Divmod. They have brains the size of planets. Stay tuned for an announcement about an introductory presentation.

Twisty Little Passages ...

I have been rather disappointed that the "Teach Me Twisted" session I ran at PyCon didn't get more heavily blogged. Not only did I have a lot of fun, but I also learned something. The Twisted guys learned something too, I'm happy to say.

No announcements yet, but with luck it will eventually lead to bigger things. That session may have been a butterfly flapping its wings.

One-Day Class Topics

Since the first Introduction to Python class seemed to go quite well I am thinking about expanding the offerings by slotting in one-day introductory classes on Python-related topics.

From PyCon I know there is a lot of interest in both Twisted and Django. But I wonder how to contact the people who want to learn these technologies. Are they already members of the Python community (to whom this blog is primarily addressed most of the time), or do I need to generate some new marketing channel to reach them?

What other Python technologies do people need a fast introduction to?

Introduction to Python, March 25-27

The only new content we added to the revamped site was a brief announcement of our new Introduction to Python course, which is currently planned to run four times this year. I'll be teaching these classes in a tailor-made classroom in Springfield, VA, a short ride from Reagan National Airport and close to the nation's capital.

There's currently no schedule on the web, and places aren't yet being sold by e-commerce techniques—the important thing is to make sure everything is right before we start selling it too aggressively. The materials are based on courses I have given on-site to various clients over the last four years, so they are proven to be effective. The first run is March 25-27, and places are limited so that there'll be plenty of time to ask questions.

If you know anyone who needs to learn Python, ask them to get in touch. Also, if you have training needs that aren't covered by this specific class please let me know: there'll be more coming up!