Idiomatic Python Resources

Let’s say you’ve just joined my team and want to become an idiomatic Python programmer. Where do you begin?

Well, you can move up the learning curve quickly using resources from this blog:

• Pythonic means idiomatic and tasteful
• import this: learning the Zen of Python
• The 3 Best Python Books for Your Team

I also have some good resources on web development with Python:

• Build a web app fast: Python, HTML & JavaScript Resources
• Rapid Web Prototyping with Lightweight Tools

And on more advanced Python concepts, like dunders and functional programming:

• Python double-under, double-wonder
• Functional dynamic dispatch in Python
• Clojonic: Pythonic Clojure

You can also gain a lot by checking out great talks from prior PyCon’s — I have a couple of round-ups here:

• Favorite PyCon 2009 Talks
• Favorite PyCon 2013 Talks

Two talks, in particular, will do well to teach you “the Python way”. These are:

• Stop Writing Classes
• Iterators and Generators: The Python Way

The wider web has a slew of free, idiomatic Python references.

• Dive Into Python (somewhat dated, from 2004)
• Hitchiker’s Guide to Python
• The Python Tutorial
• A Gallery of IPython Notebooks
• Awesome Python – Open Source Libraries
• Python MOTW – Module Of The Week

Since building and doing is the path to “best practice”, you might want to build yourself a small web application with Flask. The Flask documentation also exhibits really good Python style, in both code and documentation:

• Flask Quickstart

Two Python masters who will teach you about Python style and internals (respectively) are Hettinger and Beazley. Many of their talks are recorded at these links. Growing to love their talks has become a rite of passage for many an idiomatic Python programmer.

• Talks by Raymond Hettinger
• Talks by David Beazley

See especially Hettinger’s:

• What Makes Python Awesome
• Beyond PEP8

Happy hacking!