Hey Pythonista,
Can't believe it's already week 15!
Let's look at some Python developer and mindset goodness.
1) Quote of the week
We have to start of course with Julian's shocking news of being affected by the latest round of layoffs at AWS.
This is a huge opportunity for Pybites given his now singular focus, but any job change is impactful, and the way big companies handle this in a cold machine-like way, does not make it any easier.
And on the mindset side, no better quote from Mr Mindset himself: "You can take my job, but you won't break my spirit".
That's true and encouraging! Whatever happens, focus on what you can control!
If you're going through layoffs, we wish you strength and courage. Don't hesitate to hit us up for support in our community:
https://pybites.circle.so/2) Python tip
Last week we spoke about turning magic numbers into constants.
Did you know you can even take this one step further?
I mean, uppercasing constant names is the PEP8 convention, but nothing prevents them from being overridden.
Unless you use type hints, more specifically the new (3.8) Final keyword. By using this, Mypy will now catch such a violation as shown in this example:
```
# script.py
MY_CONSTANT = 10
MY_CONSTANT += 10
# oops
$ mypy script.py
success: no issues found in 1 source file
# script.py v2
from typing import Final
# kind of obvious here, but what if this was a large code base + somebody not too familiar with PEP?
MY_CONSTANT: Final = 10
MY_CONSTANT += 10
# yes!
$ mypy script.py
script.py:5: error: Cannot assign to final name "MY_CONSTANT"
Found 1 error in 1 file (checked 1 source file)
```
3) Podcast update
Stay tuned for an exciting podcast episode with Real Python host Christopher Bailey where we talk about his career path, including the influence of music + education on learning how to code.
We talk about his work at Real Python, mindset and interesting industry trends. It should drop later this week.
And of course, as per 1. we will also talk about navigating job layoffs on the podcast soon...
4) PDM project highlight
Introducing the FIRAC Generator, a cutting-edge application developed by Daniel in our PDM certification program, revolutionizing legal research with Python.
This tool uses advanced NLP and GPT technology to simplify case study analysis by generating concise FIRAC-style briefs, highlighting key elements like Facts, Issues, Rules, Analysis/Application, and Conclusion.
It's an invaluable asset for legal professionals and students, making legal research faster and more precise.
Celebrate this milestone in legal tech and Daniel's remarkable achievement with us - experience a smarter way to approach legal studies.
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It's these kinds of real-world automation projects that we're really passionate about. Not only do you get a firm grasp of software development by building them, it also has a serious impact on your portfolio and the legacy you'll leave behind with your code!
So, question to you:
What would you want to build if Python was your magic wand?
5) From the archives: handling environment variables
Working with environment variables is a common need when developing Python apps.
Check out our comprehensive guide titled How to Handle Environment Variables in Python stressing the significance of isolating configuration variables from the production code.
By leveraging libraries such as python-dotenv and python-decouple, we showcase practical methods to ensure sensitive data, like secret keys and API credentials, not inadvertently exposing them via version control. 😱
Separating config from code, also outlined in The Twelve-Factor App, is important and these libraries make this easy to do.
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Have a great week, hit us up if you need anything Python / developer / mindset related, we're here to help!
Best,
Bob & Julian
P.S. To put your Python skills and programmer career on the fast track, you'll want to check out our coaching programs.
Nothing beats having an ambitious / focused goal and a dedicated coach to help you achieve it, in a non-judgemental, patient way, applying years of industry experience distilled for you to get there much faster.
If interested, apply on the website. We look forward to discussing how we can tailor our unique approach to your goals to make you a better developer and create better career opportunities.