The Community¶
BDFL¶
Guido van Rossum, the creator of Python, is often referred to as the BDFL — the Benevolent Dictator For Life.
Python Software Foundation¶
The mission of the Python Software Foundation is to promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.
PEPs¶
PEPs are Python Enhancement Proposals. They describe changes to Python itself, or the standards around it.
There are three different types of PEPs (as defined by PEP 1):
- Standards
- Describes a new feature or implementation.
- Informational
- Describes a design issue, general guidelines, or information to the community.
- Process
- Describes a process related to Python.
Notable PEPs¶
There are a few PEPs that could be considered required reading:
- PEP 8: The Python Style Guide.
- Read this. All of it. Follow it.
- PEP 20: The Zen of Python.
- A list of 19 statements that briefly explain the philosophy behind Python.
- PEP 257: Docstring Conventions.
- Gives guidelines for semantics and conventions associated with Python docstrings.
You can read more at The PEP Index.
Submitting a PEP¶
PEPs are peer-reviewed and accepted/rejected after much discussion. Anyone can write and submit a PEP for review.
Here’s an overview of the PEP acceptance workflow:
Python Conferences¶
The major events for the Python community are developer conferences. The two most notable conferences are PyCon, which is held in the US, and its European sibling, EuroPython.
A comprehensive list of conferences is maintained at pycon.org.
Python User Groups¶
User Groups are where a bunch of Python developers meet to present or talk about Python topics of interest. A list of local user groups is maintained at the Python Software Foundation Wiki.
Online Communities¶
PythonistaCafe is an invite-only, online community of Python and software development enthusiasts helping each other succeed and grow. Think of it as a club of mutual improvement for Pythonistas where a broad range of programming questions, career advice, and other topics are discussed every day.
Python Job Boards¶
Python Jobs HQ is a Python job board, by Python Developers for Python Developers. The site aggregates Python job postings from across the web and also allows employers to post Python job openings directly on the site.
