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Python 3.0 Alpha 1 released: You want it because it’s cool.

It doth seem that per the main python.org site, Python 3.0 (aka Python 3000, aka "WHERE IS REDUCE?", aka "There's a GIL?") is out and available! Hoorah!

If you want to know what's going on hit up the newly formatted "What's New?" docs (they use the new-style docs) and read up.

For code conversion - you're going to need the 2to3 tool from subversion linked off the py3k page.

Test, test and re-test! File bugs! This is an alpha - the final is slated for August 2008 (per the page) so remember, no warranty is implied here.

The T in IT: Mr. T endorses Hitachi Gear

Before I give the links to the videos, I want to give the typical disclaimer:

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are my personal opinions, views, discussions, etc. Content published here is not read or approved in advance by HDS, my wife or anyone else for that matter and does not - in any way - reflect the views and opinions, positions/etc of my employer. This is my personal, largely python-related blog. Not my employers.

That being said: A few months ago, I discovered (much by accident) that HDS (Hitachi Data Systems) has started a viral marketing compaign involving Mr. T - yes, the man from the A-Team (whose face graced my lunchbox as a child). Note that massive "lulz" were attained when watching these.

Without passing judgement or in any way stating a direct opinion, here are the videos, in order of creation:

• Mr. T: The "T" in I.T.
• Mr. T: "T The Trucker"
• T3: MR. T - BATTLE FOR THE SMB

For additional amusement, I will direct you to the Archivas (before we were bought by HDS) viral/spoof/etc video that made it to youtube, here.

Are you pyLinkedIn?

Earlier this week I was having a small discussion with Doug Hellmann - I had read his announcement about the PyMotw being picked up by OnLamp guys, and saw the LinkedIn link in his blog, we connected and started chatting.

A few months ago, Grig had made a similiar post to this - talking about Python-People connecting on Linked in, and I've slowly been connecting to people within the community since then.I mentioned to Doug that I think python people connecting is a good move - many of us don't have "python" jobs - instead, we use Python at a decidedly "not python" job, where Python is one skill of many¹.

Networking in this fashion can help other python-community people find contacts and jobs and the like.There is a Python-Wiki LinkedIn page - and there was some discussion around making a Python group, which is a good idea.If you're a Pythonista/Pythoneer and want to connect, see my profile hereI'm also on Facebook thanks to James Tauber - but I'm still trying to figure out how to use that.

Update to add some more: Tennessee Leeuwenburg adds some thoughts: PyLinkedIn - his point has merit, and should be considered when adding connections.

1. Although, I've managed to make python the second-most-used language where I work [↩]

Shelve, (feed)caching and Shove - oh my.

I saw over the weekend (in my limited time in front of my lonely MacBook) that Doug Hellmann had done another Python Module of the week - this time on the shelve module, a pretty cool module (that I didn't know about). To quote:

The shelve module can be used as a simple persistent storage option for Python objects when a relational database is overkill. The shelf is accessed by keys, just as with a dictionary. The values are pickled and written to a database created and managed by anydbm.

Of course, shelve is used in the other project he announced - FeedCache, a cachine mechanism he uses to cache Atom/RSS feeds.And then, a comment on both posts linked to a different cheeseshop module: Shove. Shove is like Shelve/Pickle/Object storage on steroids. It supports 15 storage back ends for object storage, and 9 different backends for caching.I have some need to be using a module like Shove for some data/object caching/sharing, so when I get a chance I'll post a trip report. 

Update: A comment pushed me over to Multishove. Hot. 

Spyced: PEP rss feed is live

Yay! An RSS feed for PEPs! Hoorah! Go Here:Spyced: PEP rss feed is live

I tried writing a BeautifulSoup scraper -> RSS maker, but things (babies, work) got in the way.

(Via unofficial planet python.)

At home with baby finally.

Well, this should be an interesting ride. Mommy, baby and Daddy along with all three cats are now under one roof. I think all three of us need some sleep. I updated the flickr set with a bunch of pictures.

One of my favorite memories so far? The hilarity of right after the birth, I'm madly emailing/calling/texting everyone from my iPhone to spread the good news, then most of the attendants/doctors stop and look at me, and say "is that an iPhone?".

The surreal-ness of that question stems from the fact that my brand spanking new baby is lying there crying and getting washed up and the world just sort of stops for 30 seconds while I'm crying, my wife is crying, the baby is crying, etc.

I'm not entirely sure about how to go about this fathering thing. This should really be interesting.

I now implement the __baby__ interface (it’s a girl!)

 
class Baby(object):
	self.name = 'Abigail Lorraine'
	self.length_inches = 20.5
	self.weight_lbs = 7
 

Yes. Abigail Lorraine was born today at 7:50am. Both Mother and small one are doing great and resting.

I can honestly say two things:

1> I cried.
2> This is one of the happiest, and simultaneously more surreal days of my life.

She's a squirmer, no problems, nothing. I have a picture set on flickr here.

Posting from iPhone send food

After much waiting my iphone is all setup and configured i am going to have to get used to typing on it though. I have fat thumbs.

And yes - it is as good as you've heard.

Pep 304 followup

I'm going to be following up on the comments from Brett and others about python bytecode location for this post as soon as I find sanity again - "Operation Pending Baby 1" has caused a mild for of insanity to set in.

10 Great Tips on How Not to Be the Obnoxious Newcomer in Your Workplace

10 Great Tips on How Not to Be the Obnoxious Newcomer in Your New Workplace: "You've just joined a new company and are all fired up to change things—stat. While your enthusiasm is commendable, you might want to proceed slowly at first. It's too easy for your helpful (and very possibly dead-on) observations and suggestions to be seen as criticisms and demands."

My question: Can they do a followup, "how not to be the embittered cynical old coot" or "How not to eyeball new technology with dismay, distrust and a long stories about how "you used to have declare variables in the constructor back in the days and you loved it""?

(Via digg.)