Levels of Python type annotations Python has optional type annotations - also called "type hints". Like this: The annotations here being "Entry" as the type for the "entry" argument, and "dict" as the return type. In fact, there are at least 3 ways type annotations can be

How to be a second rate developer: "Yeah, but when would I actually ever USE this?" I took a deep breath. Five minutes in, and he'd asked this twice already. I was explaining a very complex programming technique to a group of experienced developers. I started by showing a few

99 advanced Python topics: powerfulpython.com/blog/99-advanc…

Let me introduce perhaps the most important concept for getting ahead in the next 10 years: Differential Advantage. That's a lot of syllables. But it is critical every Python professional know this idea, understand it, and successfully leverage it to get and stay ahead. This

AI code generation tools are accelerators. Enhancing the coding abilities you already have. And if you do not have that base of coding skills to begin with... There is only so much it can enhance.

The new reality of remote work "Remote jobs are only for the top 1%." So sayeth a post I recently found online. Because the world had shifted heavily to remote work for a while... And we all know it has shifted back. But there is hope. When you write code for a living, it is

When to use logging: As often as you can. When you insert logging calls early and often, then by the time you need them, your program will have a thorough set already installed... reporting heaps of useful information for troubleshooting, monitoring, and more.

The core values of Powerful Python Everything I attempt to teach you centers around three core values: 1. Professionalism 2. Craftsmanship 3. Fun Professionalism means you can be relied on. You do what you say, and you follow through. Every team you join, you carry your

“It won’t happen overnight. But if you quit, it won’t happen at all.” - Doug D’Anna

'The danger of toy code examples is twofold: they are often too abstract to make anyone go “ooh, that’s compelling”, and they are easily refuted with “I would never write it that way anyway”. The danger of overly complex examples is that they provide a convenient strawman for

Panda's powerful abstractions Here's a function I wrote: This is pulled from real production code. "df" is a Pandas dataframe. And this function, load_df(), is a "building block" function. It's used to load data from a variety of different CSV files, and process them into

The two most important exceptions in Python There are over 60 exception types built into Python. And honestly, most of them you don't need to know about. But there are two you ought to memorize: TypeError, and ValueError. Both are well demonstrated with int(). int() accepts

If you want to write better Python, learn OOP. It's useful. Which is why pretty much all realistic Python codebases are built on classes and objects. Writing classes is creating new building blocks. The better you get at that, the easier it is for you to write great code!

As AI coding tools improve, new opportunities are emerging for those who combine deep technical knowledge with the mental flexibility to augment their productivity with new AI technologies.

My favorite metric for my progress as a coder: "How little time do I spend debugging?" I love how this captures several dimensions: * Am I making fewer bugs to begin with? * When I do make bugs, am I deciphering and fixing them quickly? * Over time, as the application

Learn software engineering skills first, Python second