Category Archives: Python

Manning Book Reviews

Posted in Books, IronPython, jQuery, NHibernate, Python, TDD, Testing, Unit Testing by

Thought i’d let you guys know of some books i have been reading that are pretty good, They are all from Manning which I am really starting to like that publisher more and more.

JQuery In Action: Within about 90 minutes of reading this book you will understand the fundamentals of jQuery and be ready to do basic, but powerful, jQuery code. If you are using javascript natively seriously consider switching to jQuery and get this book. jQuery also has a test framework (QUnit) and a great suite of UI plugins (jQuery UI)

Art Of Unit Testing: Easily the best unit testing book I have read (and I have read a few). Great for newbies and those still getting to grips with how to test anything more than the most trivial of examples. It is the book i would recommend to people looking to learn to do TDD well. Note the examples are in C# but they really dont require indepth knowledge of .Net, in the same way all the other books are in java and I havent written a line of a coffee flavoured code in a decade. In saying that the tools are all .Net based but i am sure there are Python, Ruby and Java equivilents avaliable for most.

NHibernate in Action: Pretty much the same as the Hibernate book but shows all the .Net stuff you can do. its also a bit more up to date that the original Hibernate book (which has since had a second release). .Net devs nusing NH need* this book.

IronPython in Action: not a bad book… it does exactly what it intends, it teaches .Net devs about python on the CLR. The question is: Do you care? For me it was something of interest, i doubt I’ll ever use it in production. As a side note for the .Net kids i think the path of C# => Boo => Python =>Ruby is the one to take for the typical C# developer**. It keeps the “barrier to entry” low for the next step so you are picking up one new thing at a time (ie new syntax, dynamic language contrainst, DSLs and other scripty weirdness) and by the end of the process you have 4 languages under your belt in about the same time it would take to do the C# => Ruby jump.

that’s all

Rhys

*OK no one needs anything, especially as the NH doc a pretty good, but you will be severely hindered without it.
** VB.Net devs; you know you will never learn another language, you have had years to do so!

VSX

Posted in Python, Visual Studio by

I have just managed to install IronPython on my work PC… but not easily.
None of the problems stem from Iron python, just from the VSX installation.
You would think after years of releasing software M$ could get it right.
You have to download the VS Shell extensions (vs_AppEnvRedist.exe). you then have to install the application(?!?) (vs_shell_isolated.enu) which may install the .net frameworks that are required (this is good!), then you can install the IronPythonStudio, which installs fine.
Why could the VSX installation be one step? Click on the exe and it installs, cleans up the crap left scattered through my c: drive and then let me know we are good to go!

Not a big issue, but one that should not even exists.
Anyway IronPython is going to get a little tyre kicking now šŸ˜‰

Python… the beginning

Posted in IronPython, Python by

So I bought me a Python book and download Python*. That was all pretty painless.

The book is so far pretty good, well written, no junk I donā€™t care about and to the point.

The language seems pretty easy to pick up.. kinda fits with the ā€œconvention over configā€ line of thoughts with its white space approachā€¦ I guess if we are going to have white space why not make it part of the language?

Its scripty and OO-ish.. I can already see where this will fit into my development plans, and can see where Ayende has gone with Boo. These languages are great for file/text manipulation especially on the fly.

One mistake I made was paying for the book… well not really, it was cheap and I can read it on the tube, but for those who donā€™t like paying for stuff the latest version of Dive Into Python can be found here

Also if you are a CLR junkie then have a look at IronPython

2.0 should be released soon, till then Iā€™ll stick with the correct release version of 1.1.1 (for now)

*IronPython… not real Python šŸ˜‰

New strings to the bow…

Posted in Languages, Python by

For awhile now I have been umming and arrghing and generally weighing whether to learn a dynamic styled language and which one to learnā€¦ Well I have been fluffing around for too long.

I am going to learn Python (OMG not ruby!).

Why:

  • It is supported on the CLR/DLR
  • It is similar in syntax to Boo
  • I want to learn Boo and be able to follow Ayendes post of DSLs
  • Ayende uses Boo and he is smarter than me. I try to follow people that are leaders in their fields.
  • I want a language to manipulate text that is better than c# or xsltā€¦ K

I am hoping that learning one will make it easier to learn others. I can jump between Java, VB and C# but the are all C based and basic just different dialect/syntax, hardly wildly different languages (well Fowler kinda agrees with me)

So time to get off my bum and do it. Any book recommendations?