Presenter

Steve Holden has been using Python for ten years, or a quarter of his programming career. He is the author of "Python Web Programming" and the chairman of the Python Software Foundation.

Requirements

Basic understanding of the Python language required. Desire to learn how to make effective use of relational database technologies.

Laptop recommended but not essential. Examples will be based on Python 2.6, but most will probably work in 2.4 onwards, so any recent distribution will do. Most examples will be based on SQLite for simplicity, but the instructor will attempt to guide those wishing to convert the materials to PostgreSQL or MySQL on a best- efforts basis.

Outline

• String Interpolation and Mappings (20 min)
  • The mapping interface
  • Fooling interpolation
• Iteration in Python (40 min)
  • Iterables and iterators
  • The iteration protocol
  • Class-based iterators
• Generators (40 min)
  • Generator functions
  • Generator expressions
  • Class-based generators
• Descriptors (40 min)
  • The descriptor lookup mechanism
  • Descriptor-based properties
• Metaclasses (40 min)
  • Classes are metaclass instances
  • What does "type" do?
  • Subclassing type
  • Useful metaclass behaviors

If sufficiently interesting new ideas crop up they can be explored in Open Space.