PyOhio 2013 is coming up later this month … the weekend of July 27-28, 2013, to be exact! Admission is FREE (thanks to sponsors like SmartFile) and it’s not too bad of a drive from Indianapolis, Indiana to Columbus, Ohio. So, the cost is low and the excitement is high.
Haven’t heard of PyOhio? It’s an annual conference for Python programmers based in the Midwest. Each year programmers from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and few other states, head to Columbus, Ohio, for a weekend of lectures and learning.
When I started at SmartFile a year ago, I hadn’t used Python. I worked through the SmartFile UI and wrote a ton of JavaScript and then began to dig into Python. I consider my Python skill to be Intermediate at this point. One of my hopes for PyOhio is to bump that skill level up a notch.
Sessions that interest me
To start out, I’ll be sure to attend Python 101 by Michael Yanovich. I started a book on Python and learned some things in the first couple chapters. Unfortunately, I didn’t commit to finishing the book. Perhaps it will be easier to commit to this tutorial and I’ll be sure to learn some things.
I am also planning on attending Porting Half a Million Lines to Python 3 by Nathan Yergler. In porting that many lines means there have to be some lessons for someone who is still testing the Python waters with just my toe dipped in.
Then, I’ll probably round out the first day by seeing where Ben is going.
On Day 2, the most interesting session, at least to me, is the one on Atypes, Btypes, and Ctypes by our very own Ben Timby. Ben challenges me every day. For example, he recently introduced me to the concept of re-factoring my code multiple times. I used to write code and when it worked, I’d quit. I added in a little DRYness, a concept also backed by Ben, early on at SmartFile. So to make it more DRY I’d ask myself what code looks repetitive, make it into a function, and call it a day. Now, the multiple re-factor concept pushes me to look not just for repetitive code, but to also look for better ways of doing things. And when I say multiple re-factors, I mean I’d see Ben write the same code 10 ways in the commit logs. Ben’s just the kind of guy who is an inspiration to programmers in day-to-day activities. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with when he has time to prepare.
After his session, I’ll either see what Talks and Tutorials are on Ben’s radar or I’ll just call it a day.
In general, I hope to learn new Python structures.
Given my Python experience and heavy experience in multiple other languages, I think I sort of write my Python code like other languages. The problem is that Python isn’t like other languages. It has structures and ways of doing things not found in other languages. I hope to learn new ways of doing things that are innovative and/or more efficient.
Networking Opportunities
With any event, yes even a developer event, there will be opportunities to meet people and do the networking thing. I’ll have to come out of my “code in a closet” shell and get to know some folks. Let me know in the comments if you plan on attending. Maybe we can meet up!
More information on PyOhio can be found at pyohio.org. It’s not too late to register!
