Nearly a year ago I announced that I was writing a book about writing Python code.

I'm writing Practices of the Python Pro

Dane Hillard ・ Jan 31 '19 ・ 2 min read

#python #discuss #beginners #showdev

Practices of the Python Pro is now available! Holding the physical copy in my hand for the first time was a wild experience. It didn't quite become real until that moment.

I set out to fill what I saw as a learning gap for many people entering the software development space today. Some of my friends were either self-taught programmers who owned their own businesses, trying to pick up programming for use with their existing career, or trying to switch careers into software. The diversity of ways people are getting into and using software is growing so fast!

Even as someone with a traditional path into software development, I didn't learn many of the principles in school that lead to more maintainable code. Learning how to separate concerns, use composition over inheritance, and create more extensible code with approaches like plugin-based architecture all happened "in the field" for me. For those with even less exposure to this stuff, it can be hard to even know these options are out there.

Practices of the Python Pro seeks to give an introduction to many of these principles, building a small project that takes advantage of them along the way. My hope is that it demonstrates the values of maintainable code enough to excite you to keep researching and learning more on your own for years to come.

I learned a lot myself in writing this book. Taking what I already knew theoretically and forcing myself to apply it practically to teach others about it was a great way to find gaps in my own knowledge and realize my inexperience in some areas. I think that's the value of writing and the value of platforms like DEV where people can safely explore and discuss ideas with others. Thanks to all of you for such a lovely space in this corner of the web!