Richard Jones' Log: New Year Python Meme

Thu, 22 Dec 2011

Thanks, Tarek, for this fun idea.

1. What's the coolest Python application, framework or library you have discovered in 2011?
I was pretty happy I discovered the awesomeness of bottle when researching my web micro-framework battle (video.)

I've started using Python 2.7 and 3.2 which is pretty cool (having been stuck in 2.3, gasp!)

I've been working with Twisted again after a couple of years' break and have discovered txpostgres and Twisted's own inlineCallbacks. Both are pretty cool. inlineCallbacks make Twisted programming quite bearable to think about :-)

2. What new programming technique did you learn in 2011?
I've been honing my testing skills and learned about Behaviour Driven Development. I've also learned to use both Mercurial and Git (and the latter still drives me insane sometimes) and their related websites bitbucket and github.

I also started using virtualenv and Fabric way more this year.

3. What's the name of the open source project you contributed the most in 2011? What did you do?
This year I created parse, overload and ooch and contributed to behave. I also helped run PyCon Australia.

4. What was the Python blog or website you read the most in 2011?
Planet Python and the New Packages feed from PyPI.

5. What are the three top things you want to learn in 2012?
I can never predict what I'll end up learning. Or what software I'll be writing.

I know I'll be learning a lot more about Mercuruial (and Git, I suppose) and the vagaries of modern software deployment.

I plan on working more on my test- and behaviour-driven development practices.

I also want to learn how to bake more things thanks to the Great British Bake Off :-)

6. What are the top software, app or lib you wish someone would write in 2012?
I'm hoping that someone will do something cool with the new PyPI OpenID provider ;-)

Want to do your own list? here's how:

  1. copy-paste the questions and answer to them in your blog
  2. tweet it with the #2012pythonmeme hashtag