PyStok #42 report: Python insights from Dominik Kozaczko and Lukasz Langa

PyStok is a Białystok-based group of Python enthusiasts who aim to spread the knowledge about this amazing programming language. Naturally, we help them on that mission! Sunscrapers sponsors PyStok events to create an environment that fosters knowledge exchange and build a local Python community.

If you’ve missed out on the last PyStok event of the season, don’t worry - we have a full report for you.

Here’s an overview of two fantastic presentations from PyStok #42, including one by our team member, Dominik.

"Quo Vadis Python 3.8?" by Dominik Kozaczko

Who is Dominik? 

Dominik is a backend developer and trainer at Sunscrapers and an open source enthusiast; he contributes to djoser, hedju, and django-getpaid libraries. A pioneer in teaching Python at Polish high schools, Dominik is also the creator behind "Python from scratch PLUS" and "Django from Scratch" online courses, and the author of the Polish translation of "Byte of Python".

Summary 

Dominik’s presentation focused on the upcoming version of Python, 3.8. Developers can now test Python 3.8, but they might not be sure about the changes it brings to the performance, syntax, and grammar of the language. During the presentation, Dominik summarized the most important PEPs implemented in the upcoming version and showed their practical application.

Key insights:

1. The "Walrus" operator - assignment expressions

One of the most important features in this release, the walrus operator allows for variable assignment inside of expressions. It helps developers to write more concise structures and avoid nesting a logic record which is not actually nested.

2. positional-only arguments

When defining a function, we can specify that some arguments can only be given by a positional argument. That will be particularly useful for mapping APIs written in C or where the change in the argument order could drastically reduce the readability of a call.

3. run-time audit hooks

A very useful feature for institutions that care about software security. Thanks to the new API, developers will be able to monitor the operation of the program in detail - in particular, whether network connections are opened or there are no unexpected system calls.

“Life Is Better Painted Black, or: How to Stop Worrying and Embrace Auto-Formatting” by Lukasz Langa

Who is Lukasz?

Lukasz has been involved in the development of the Python language for almost ten years. As the Core Python Developer, he worked on the standard library (PEP 484, PEP 443, configparser) and currently manages their further development. An experienced programmer and social activist, Lukasz previously worked Allegro, STX Next, and Facebook’s HQ in California.

Summary

What good is a code style if it's not internally consistent? What good is a linter when it slows you down? What if you could outsource your worries about code formatting, adopt a consistent style, and make your team faster - all at the same time?

In his presentation, Lukasz talked about Black, a new highly opinionated tool that formats  Python code automatically. He showed what the style looks like, explained the reasons behind its structure, and demonstrated how to integrate it with a workflow and accelerate the development process (all the while, making the code better looking, on average). By using Black, developers can lose their attachments, delegate the boring job of moving tokens around to satisfy the linter, and save time for more important matters.

Key insights:

• Defining the syntax of a programming language - Lukasz described in great detail how the syntax is defined and how the parser is built on that basis. Then he gave an overview of the parsing process.
• The non-configurability of Black - throughout the presentation, Lukasz explained why Black has virtually no configuration options beyond setting the line length. Thanks to this, developers stop fighting about the style of code formatting and can concentrate on important things like writing code.

His presentation was long but very well-structured and thought-out thanks to his incredible skills and know-how.

Both presentations will be shortly published on PyStok’s website.

PyStok’s event was inspiring and well-organized to allow everyone focus on what matters: exchanging knowledge and experience. The follow-up party was filled with interesting conversations and behind-the-scenes insights about working in the Silicon Valley!

Groups like PyStok are critical to the development of the Python community. That’s why Sunscrapers sponsors, hosts, and supports local meetups. They offer the best way to learn new things, meet like-minded people, and expand your Pythonic horizons.

PyStok is doing a fantastic job, and we look forward to the opening of the new season of their events!