Python: Beginner to Expert
John Lockwood 
One of those questions that every Python developer wonders about at some point are those weird extra directories and files they’ll see crop up from time to time. Setting aside __init__.py for a moment, sometimes you’ll see directories you didn’t create: __pycache__, filled with files with a .pyc extension that have the same root filename … Read more
For this week’s How to Practice Python series, I wanted to go over the basics for practicing Python Pandas and other tools in the Python data science stack. This is for those who are new to Python data science and also as a refresher for me, since I’ve been doing more Python for cloud and … Read more
When I first took a look at Julia, I was wondering if it would be easy to learn and use it, coming from a background as a Python developer. I thought features like LISP-style macros might make it a difficult transition. It turns out it was easier than expected. Julia has many features that are … Read more
Today I spent some time taking a look at PyPy. I had expected it to be much faster than the “standard” version of Python, also known as CPython. However, I also wanted to account for speed differences when it comes to NumPy, a commonly used Python library written in C. PyPy is faster than CPython … Read more
The best Python practice projects depend on your interests and career choice, your goals for practice, and your skill level. But since we all can use some help brainstorming ideas and resources, this series of articles on Python Practice Projects can help you get started on the next big thing. Introduction: Why Is This a … Read more
When newcomers think of arrays, they may have an idea that this is implemented in Python as the built-in list type. However, as in other languages, Python lists and arrays are actually quite different. Even experienced Python developers often reach for the list type first when they need a sequence type, and for most cases, … Read more
Installing Pip and Conda on the same machine is easy to do with pyenv. Maybe you work on testing a product for different environments, or maybe you just want to try out the two packaging tools to see which one you like best. Either way, pyenv lets you install and manage both with no conflicts. … Read more
The easiest way to compare Python dictionaries is simply to use the same equality operator you use on other Python types, “==”. This works great for most cases, but it relies on the behavior of “==” for the values involved. If you need a more strict test, this can be done in a few lines of code.
You probably know that the best way to practice Python is to build it into a daily habit — the same way you get good at anything. Continuing a daily practice is much easier if you learn a little about how habits form. The trick is to do things that enable the same processes that … Read more
Separating tests and source is not hard to do in Python, if you start your source directory at the root of the package structure. This is not hard in principle, but it trips up developers coming from other languages. We review how one popular library does it (which is in line with the pytest docs), … Read more
