From Python

Questions for the Forum

It was suggested that we allot time for people to bring up questions to discuss among the people attending the meeting. Both big and small issues. You can add your questions below (note that small questions might get answered here or on the list even before the meeting).

• add here

• I'd like people who are developing apps (but also scripts) with python to describe their working "methods", i.e. mainly how they debug, whether they use a debugger for that, cli/gui, which one, whether they use an IDE, which one, why, etc. -- Alon 11:04, 17 June 2007 (IDT)

  Specificly, I'd like to hear about IPython (heared a lot about it, never had time to check it myself). We can see if Noam or Benny can talk about Idlespoon again (seems that most people attending recent meetings did not attend last time). --Amit

  I've been working on IDLE for the past 2+ years. I can talk about IDLE-spoon as well as the new features in my development version, some outstanding missing features and issues, and plans for the future. (if there really is interest) --Tal

• Looking for possible co-operation between the Israeli Python community and the support site (Lahak, written in Python, by Meir Kriheli). Maybe creating add-on projects for Lahak, which will be written by teenagers with the support of the Python community? The site can be found at this address (still in early beta) http://schools.whatsup.org.il Thanks, Yael

  Sounds like a good idea - would be best to start by someone giving a talk about the site - what's there, what's needed and internals (show us some code...). Does not have to be too structured - if someone shows the group what's there, people in the audience can suggest ideas etc. Candidates? Meir? --AmitAronovitch 22:23, 18 June 2007 (IDT)

• multiple inheritance in python - does it really not suffer from problems that make it a no-no in other languages? does everyone need to coperate in order for super() to work or does it break down gracefully? (ronnie)
• using packages that require compilation on windows for python 2.5 (C extensions, without binaries). Anyone have tips on how to compile them? What's the chances of something like PyXML (needed by ZSI but not maintained anymore) working correctly if I compile for windows/python 2.5? (ronnie)

  I know its not the point of the question - but you may be able to use a different parser: See ZSI mailing list. I've never tried it - and there are probably other dependencies... But might be worth investigating --Simon

• more on IDEs - anyone use Java IDEs for combined Java/python work? (eclipse, intellij)? (ronnie)
• Is CPython's garbage collection simple refcounting or something more complicated? can it handle cycles? If not, how do people normally handle this? (ronnie)

  That's one reocurring question (keywords: the "gc" module, weakrefs). It is always interesting to hear the situations where people encounter that and their solutions - idea: maybe we should write a FAQ as we go along?