A big decision a developer has to make is what tool to use to write code? Would you like an editor that understands Python, and is there to help with suggestions, definitions, and analysis of your code? For many developers, its the free tool, Visual Studio Code. This week on the show, we have Savannah Ostrowski, program manager for the Python Language Server and Python in Visual Studio. We discuss Pylance, a new language server with fast, feature-rich language support for Python in VS Code. Sava...
Sep 25, 2020•50 min•Ep. 28
What is an effective way to prepare for a Python interview? Would you like a set of problems that increase in difficulty to practice and hone your Python skills? This week on the show, we have Jim Anderson to talk about his new Real Python article, “Python Practice Problems: Get Ready for Your Next Interview.” This article provides several problems, which include skeleton code, unit tests, and solutions for you to compare your work. David Amos also joins us this week, and he has brought another ...
Sep 18, 2020•47 min•Ep. 27
Why is Python pulling in so many new programmers? Maybe some of that growth is from Python being a full-spectrum language. This week on the show we have Michael Kennedy, the host of the podcast “Talk Python to Me”. Michael reflects on five years of podcasting about Python, and many of the changes he has seen in the Python landscape. We discuss several stories about the different ways Python is being used, and how that is drawing in many new programmers. Michael covers some potential Python stumb...
Sep 11, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 26
Wouldn’t it be nice to a use a form of version control for data? Something that would allow you to track and version your datasets and models. Well, that’s what the tool called DVC is designed to do. This week on the show, David Amos is here and he’s brought another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects. David starts with a Real Python article titled, “Data Version Control With Python and DVC”. We also cover several other articles and projects from the Python community including: where...
Sep 04, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 25
Have you wondered, how should I package my Python code? You’ve written the application, but now you need to distribute it to the machines it’s intended to run on. It depends on what the code is, the libraries it depends on, and with whom do you want to share it. This week on the show we have Itamar Turner-Trauring, creator of the website pythonspeed.com. We discuss his article “Options for Packaging Your Python Code: Wheels, Conda, Docker, and More,” covering the how of sharing your code. Itamar...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 24
Have you wondered what Python wheels are? How are they used to package Python code? Does Python use pass by value or pass by reference? This week on the show, David Amos is here to help answer these questions, and he has brought another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects. We talk about an article called “What are Python Wheels, and Why Should You Care.” David talks about a Real Python article about pass by reference in Python. We cover several other articles and projects from the Py...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 23
Do you want to distribute your Python applications to other users who don’t have or even use Python? Maybe you’re interested in seeing your Python application run on iOS or Android mobile devices. This week on the show we have Russell Keith-Magee, the founder and maintainer of the BeeWare project. Russell talks about Briefcase, a tool that converts a Python application into native installers on macOS, Windows, Linux, and mobile devices. We spend some time digging into BeeWare’s cross-platform wi...
Aug 14, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 22
Do you want to learn the how and when of implementing K-means clustering in Python? Would you like to practice your pandas skills with a real-world project? This week on the show, David Amos is back with another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects. David talks about a Real Python article about how to perform K-means clustering in Python. We also talk about a new project based article on the site about how to create a gradebook using pandas, practicing the skills of importing, merging...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 21
Have you wanted to generate advanced reports as PDFs using Python? Maybe you want to build documents with tables, images, or fillable forms. This week on the show we have Mike Driscoll to talk about his book “ReportLab - PDF Processing with Python.” Mike is an author of multiple books about Python, and has recently re-written his Python 101 book. He is also a member of the Real Python team and has written several articles for the site. Along with our discussion about ReportLab and PDFs, Mike tal...
Jul 31, 2020•53 min•Ep. 20
Would you like to clearly understand what’s happening when you use the Python import keyword? Do you want to use modules more effectively to structure your code? Or maybe you’re ready to move to the next level with your Django project by adding user management. This week on the show, David Amos is back with another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects. We discuss a Real Python article about advanced techniques and tips for using the Python import keyword. David also talks about anothe...
Jul 24, 2020•52 min•Ep. 19
This week on the show we have Armin Ronacher to talk about the first 10 years of Flask. Armin talks about the origins of Flask and the components that make up the framework. He talks about what goes into documenting a framework or API. He also talks about the community working on the ongoing development of Flask. He also shares his thoughts about Python, and how it contrasts with Rust and TypeScript. Armin talks about what he would do differently if he were to start development of a project like...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 18
Are you familiar with linear programming, and how it can be used to solve resource optimization problems? Would you like to free your Python code from a clunky command line and start making convenient graphical interfaces for your users? This week on the show, David Amos is back with another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects. David talks about a recent Real Python article about linear programming in Python. We discuss an article titled “PySimpleGUI: The Simple Way to Create a GUI W...
Jul 10, 2020•50 min•Ep. 17
Are you using the Python library Pandas the right way? Do you wonder about getting better performance, or how to optimize your data for analysis? What does normalization mean? This week on the show we have Hannah Stepanek to discuss her new book “Thinking in Pandas”. The inspiration behind Hannah’s book came out of her talk at PyCon US 2019 titled “Thinking Like a Panda: Everything You Need to Know to Use Pandas the Right Way.” We discuss several core concepts covered in the book. She shares tec...
Jul 03, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 16
Have you wanted to learn Regular Expressions in Python, but don’t know where to start? Have you stumbled into the dreaded pink SettingWithCopyWarning in Pandas? This week on the show, we have David Amos from the Real Python team to discuss a recent two-part series on Regex in Python. We also talk about another recent article on the site about views vs copies in Pandas. David also brings a few other articles and projects from the wider Python community for us to discuss. David searches for the la...
Jun 26, 2020•45 min•Ep. 15
Would you like to run your Python code in the cloud without having to become an infrastructure engineer? Do you want to have Python functions that run when triggered by specific events? This week on the show we have Anthony Chu to discuss serverless computing and running python functions in the cloud. Anthony Chu is program manager for Microsoft’s Azure Functions. We discuss the advantages of serverless computing over virtual machines, containers, and other infrastructure options for running you...
Jun 19, 2020•55 min•Ep. 14
Have you wanted to work with PDF files in Python? Maybe you want to extract text, merge and concatenate files, or even create PDFs from scratch. Are you interested in building hardware projects using a Raspberry Pi? This week on the show we have David Amos from the Real Python team to discuss his recent article on working with PDFs. David also brings a few other articles from the wider Python community for us to discuss. David searches for the latest Python news, links, and articles to produce P...
Jun 12, 2020•45 min•Ep. 13
Do you want to get started with web scraping using Python? Are you concerned about the potential legal implications? What are the tools required and what are some of the best practices? This week on the show we have Kimberly Fessel to discuss her excellent tutorial created for PyCon 2020 online titled “It’s Officially Legal so Let’s Scrape the Web.” We discuss getting started with web scraping, and cover tools and techniques. Kimberly gives advice on finding elements inside of the html, and tech...
Jun 05, 2020•50 min•Ep. 12
Have you wanted to get started with testing in Python? Maybe you feel a little nervous about diving in deeper than just confirming your code runs. What are the tools needed and what would be the next steps to level up your Python testing? This week on the show we have Anthony Shaw to discuss his article on this subject. Anthony is a member of the Real Python team and has written several articles for the site. We discuss getting started with built-in Python features for testing and the advantages...
May 29, 2020•58 min•Ep. 11
Do you know someone in the Python community who recently was let go from their job due to the pandemic? What does the job landscape currently look like? What are skills and techniques that will help you in your job search? This week we have Kyle Stratis on the show to discuss how he is managing his job search after just being let go from his data engineering job. Kyle is a member of the Real Python team and has written several articles for the site. We discuss Kyle’s career and the skills that h...
May 22, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 10
In your quest to become a better developer, how do you find Python code that is at your reading level? What are good code bases or projects to study? What are the things holding you back from leveling up your Python literacy? This week we have Cecil Phillip on the show to discuss all of these common questions. Cecil is a Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft. Cecil has been learning Python in the open on Twitch with Brian Clark. They run a weekly event on Twitch, where they are live-streaming an in...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 9
Docker is a common tool for Python developers creating and deploying applications, but what do you need to know if you want to use Docker for data science and machine learning? What are the best practices if you want to start using containers for your scientific projects? This week we have Tania Allard on the show. She is a Sr. Developer Advocate at Microsoft focusing on Machine Learning, scientific computing, research and open source. Tania has created a talk for the PyCon US 2020 which is now ...
May 08, 2020•56 min•Ep. 8
Want to learn more about AsyncIO in Python, with an example where you can see and hear events being triggered in real-time? This week we have Łukasz Langa on the show. Łukasz has created a talk for PyCon 2020 online about using AsyncIO with Music. In his talk he shows live examples of coroutines, gathering, the event loop and events being triggered to create a piece of music. We also talk about his role as the release manager for Python 3.8 and 3.9. Łukasz provides background on the origins of h...
May 01, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 7
Are you interested in building REST APIs with Flask and SQLAlchemy? This week we have Doug Farrell on the show. We talk about his four-part Real Python article series on Python REST APIs. We discuss the various Python tools and libraries used in the series. Doug also shares his practices for continuous learning. Doug has worked in process control, embedded systems, and has a long background in software development. He’s currently a developer at ShutterFly, and discusses developing tools for his ...
Apr 24, 2020•55 min•Ep. 6
Have you ever wanted to explore using Python with electronics? CircuitPython is a great platform to get started with. This week we have Thea Flowers on the show. Thea has been creating several hardware projects based around CircuitPython, and she talks about getting started on the platform. She also answers questions about how she taught herself to design and prototype printed circuit boards. Thea discusses several of her open source projects, including Nox, ConductHotline, and getting involved ...
Apr 17, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 5
Do you get upset and frustrated when you experience errors running your Python code? This week we have Martin Breuss on the show. We discuss how to learn Python through errors, and how errors really are your friends. Martin is a video course creator here at Real Python, and we talk briefly about several courses he’s created. We focus on his course about getting started with Django, as a jumping off point for the discussion. Martin talks about his work with Coding Nomads, and teaching Python arou...
Apr 10, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 4
Have you been using Python for a while, but want to be more effective with your code? This week we have Brett Slatkin on the show. We talk about the 2nd edition of his book Effective Python. Brett talks about the revisions he made for the book, and updating it for the newest versions of Python 3. He answers questions about who is the intended developer for the book. Brett also discusses working on Google App Engine, and what it’s like to develop and maintain Python applications at Google Scale. ...
Apr 03, 2020•43 min•Ep. 3
Is game programming a good way to develop your Python programming skills? This week we have Jon Fincher on the show. Jon is an author on the Real Python team, and we talk about his recent articles on PyGame and Arcade. Jon talks about his background working at Microsoft. We discuss if a game would make a good portfolio piece. We compare and contrasts the two popular Python game libraries of Arcade and PyGame. Jon also reveals ways to find assets for your own creations. Want your question feature...
Mar 27, 2020•55 min•Ep. 2
Do you want to learn more about Python decorators? Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to create a Real Python article? In this first episode, We have Geir Arne Hjelle from the Real Python team on the show. You’ll learn about Geir Arne’s background as a Pythonista and PyCon speaker, the tutorials he’s written for the site, how Python decorators can help you write better code, and what Real Python’s tutorial publishing process looks like behind the scenes. Note: This episode was...
Mar 20, 2020•50 min•Ep. 1
A weekly Python podcast hosted by Christopher Bailey with interviews, coding tips, and conversation with guests from the Python community. The show covers a wide range of topics including Python programming best practices, career tips, and related software development topics. Join us to hear what’s new in the world of Python programming and become a better coder. Level up your Python skills with our expert-led courses: Welcome to Real Python! Support the podcast & join our community of Pytho...
Mar 06, 2020•2 min
