The Python Papers

Call for Papers, Volume 3 Issue 3

2008-09-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

We would like to call for papers, articles, opinion pieces and feedback to include in Volume 3, Issue 3 of The Python Papers. We would love to receive articles on Python for beginners and discussions about Python performance. Any article will be gratefully received, of course, so do not let the above list of suggestions deter you from considering an article on another topic.

We also need volunteers from Python User Groups to include an article on the activities, members and geographical area of their local group.

Expressions of Interest Close: Friday, 14 November

Initial Draft Submission Deadline: Friday, 21 November
Editorial Process Concludes (i.e. Final Version Due): Monday, 15 December
PDF Release Date: Sunday, 4th January (approximate)

If you are considering submitting an article, please let us know A.S.A.P., even if you are only thinking about it. This will allow us to post email reminders of important dates to prospective authors, as well as giving us an indication of content.

If you are unable to submit an article according to the schedule above, please let us know of your interest anyway, and we will involve you in the publication cycle for the following edition.

Contact us at editor@pythonpapers.org

Thanks,
-Maurice Ling
Co-Editor In Chief, The Python Papers

Entire Volume 3 Issue 2 in one PDF

2008-09-07T06:39:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone

Our original release of TPP Volume 3 Issue 2 is in the form of one PDF per article. A number of readers had kindly requested for a parallel release for the entire issue in a single PDF for easy transport.

Despite prevalent "industrial standards" for one PDF per article such as IEEE and ACM, we can understand our readers' point of view. We can see mutually exclusive advantages of both system - one PDF per article allows for tracking of view counts for each article whereas one PDF per issue allows for easy transport and offline browsing. Therefore, we had chose to released the entire volume as a single PDF in parallel and will continue to do so in future.

The entire Volume 3 Issue 2 can be accessed from http://www.pythonpapers.org.

We look forward to your continued support and contributions.

Regards
Maurice Ling
Co-EIC, TPPA

Volume 3 issue 2 is released

2008-09-04T05:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

After a long wait of nearly 5 month, we are back in business to bring the latest edition of The Python Papers - Volume 3 Issue 2 ( http://ojs.pythonpapers.org/index.php/tpp/issue/current ).

From this issue onwards, we will be having only 3 issues per year instead of 4. This is in compliance with our ISSN registration.

What's new
=========
1. We have expanded our editorial team with 2 new Associate Editors, Sarah Mount (from UK) and Guy Kloss from (New Zealand).

2. TPP is now managed using Open Journal System and it can be assessed at http://ojs.pythonpapers.org/tpp

3. Backporting of previous issues of TPP from Volume 1 Issue 1 is complete

4. We had "soft-launched" TWO new periodicals - The Python Papers Monographs (for monograph-length submissions which may include dissertations, conference proceedings, case studies and advanced-level lectures) and The Python Papers Source Codes (modeled after ACM Collected Algorithms and provides a collection of software and source codes, usually associated with papers published in The Python Papers and The Python Papers Monograph). They shall be TPPM and TPPSC respectively.

5. Collectively, TPP, TPPM and TPPSC will be umbrella-ed as The Python Papers Anthology (TPPA) and managed under the same editorial committee.

6. Probably the most important development to TPP is that TPP is currently indexed by a number of services, including Google Scholar and OAIster, as a result of using Open Journal System.

So, please enjoy our latest edition and we look towards all of your continued support and contributions.

Thank you.

Cheers
Maurice Ling
Co-Editor-in-Chief, The Python Papers Anthology

Call for papers, Volume 3 Issue 2

2008-06-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

We would like to call for papers, articles, opinion pieces and feedback to include in Volume 3, Issue 2 of The Python Papers. We would love to receive articles on Python for beginners and discussions about Python performance. Any article will be gratefully received, of course, so do not let the above list of suggestions deter you from considering an article on another topic.

We also need volunteers from Python User Groups to include an article on the activities, members and geographical area of their local group.

Expressions of Interest Close: Friday, 18 July

Initial Draft Submission Deadline: Friday, 25 July
Editorial Process Concludes (i.e. Final Version Due): Monday, 11 August
PDF Release Date: Sunday, 30 August (approximate)

If you are considering submitting an article, please let us know A.S.A.P., even if you are only thinking about it. This will allow us to post email reminders of important dates to prospective authors, as well as giving us an indication of content.

If you are unable to submit an article according to the schedule above, please let us know of your interest anyway, and we will involve you in the publication cycle for the following edition.

Contact us at editor@pythonpapers.org

Thanks,
-Maurice Ling
Co-Editor In Chief, The Python Papers

Moving to Open Journal System

2008-05-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

Some of our readers may be wondering about the reason why we had not put up a call for interest for our next issue, Volume 3 Issue 2. The Python Papers will always welcome interests and submissions with or without a public call; just let us know by emails.

The Python Papers is nearing the end of its 2nd year and our continued challenge is to expand its outreach, especially into index databases, online repositories and libraries. After a few months of search, we had decided to use Open Journal System (OJS) from the Public Knowledge Project (http://pkp.sfu.ca/?q=ojs) to manage The Python Papers. We are currently in the process of setting the system up in our web server and is feverishly porting all back issues into it. Hence, we are delaying our call for interest/submissions for June 2008. Instead, our next issue will be set in August 2008 - a call for interest and publishing timeline will be released soon.

We welcome any offer of assistance.

We hope that by using OJS, The Python Papers will conform to Open Archive Initiative (OAI) which is a standard for metadata harvesting of publications. We further hope that OAI will pave the way into academic libraries and repositories.

The OJS site for The Python Papers is http://ojs.pythonpapers.org

We thank all authors and readers, and the computing/programming community at large for your continued support.

Sit tight for your next issue in August.

Warm regards
Maurice Ling
Co-Editor-in-Chief, The Python Papers

A changing of the guard

2008-04-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

After some time as Editor-In-Chief, it is now time for me to announce that I will be changing my role at The Python Papers. Maurice Ling is now acting Editor-In-Chief, while I remain in a supporting role as co-Editor-In-Chief. In our next issue we will be publishing a request for expressions of interest for additional editors and will at that point run an open process to formally elect an Editor-In-Chief.

It has been my pleasure to put together The Python Papers and my pride that it has been a quality offering and found some place in the community. I intend to continue to help put each issue together, find articles and investigate the Python community, but it is now time for someone else to take over the reigns and put their stamp on the journal.

Maurice is a fine candidate for the position, having been one of our founding editors and the primary driver of our academic section.

Thanks for your readership,
-Tennessee

The Python Papers, Volume 3, Issue 1 Now Available

2008-04-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce the release of the latest version of The Python Papers. Volume 3, Issue 1 is available here. We have a great array of articles packed into its 81 pages, with a great spectrum of topics covered. The highlights include an in-depth article on ShowMeDo, a GUI toolkits comparison and a great article on "Pyfundamentalism" which looks at the emotions evoked by Python.

Table of Contents for Volume 3, Issue 1

Letter from the editor Page 4

Industry Articles

Pyfundamentalism: The Emotions Provoked by Python Page 5
What Is ShowMeDo? Page 7
An Efficient Scalar Package In Python Page 21
PyGTK, PyQT, Tkinter and wxPython comparison Page 26
Python Events Page 81

Peer Reviewed Section
Doctest and unittest... now they'll live happily together Page 38
The Python Interpreter as a Framework for Integrating Scientific Computing Software-Components Page 52
Parts-of-Speech Tagger Errors Do Not Necessarily Degrage Accuracy In Extracting Information from Biomedical Text Page 65

Call for papers for Volume 3, Issue 1

2008-02-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

We would like to call for papers, articles, opinion pieces and feedback to include in Volume 3, Issue 1 of The Python Papers. It is our hope to capitalise further on the fantastic uptake of our last issue. We would love to receive articles on Python for beginners and discussions about Python performance. Any article will be gratefully received, of course, so do not let the above list of suggestions deter you from considering an article on another topic.

We also need volunteers from Python User Groups to include an article on the activities, members and geographical area of their local group.

Expressions of Interest Close: Monday, 18 February

Initial Draft Submission Deadline: Monday, 25 February
Editorial Process Concludes (i.e. Final Version Due): Monday, 10 March
PDF Release Date: Monday, 31 March (approximate)

If you are considering submitting an article, please let us know A.S.A.P., even if you are only thinking about it. This will allow us to post email reminders of important dates to prospective authors, as well as giving us an indication of content.

If you are unable to submit an article according to the schedule above, please let us know of your interest anyway, and we will involve you in the publication cycle for the following edition.

Contact us at editor@pythonpapers.org

Thanks,
-Tennessee Leeuwenburg
Editor In Chief, The Python Papers

Python Papers new Issue Available Now!

2007-12-18T04:07:00.000-08:00

We are very proud to announce the release of Volume 2, Issue 4 of "The Python Papers". The latest PDF may be downloaded from http://archive.pythonpapers.org/ThePythonPapersVolume2Issue4.pdf. It is our largest issue yet at 81 pages and is chock full of great content.

Table of Contents for Volume 2, Issue 4

Letter from the editor: Page 4
Industry Articles
GrrlCamp: Page 6
News from the Python Software Foundation: Page 9
Interview with Michael Foord: Page 16
Screen Scraping Web Pages: Page 22
Interview with Resolver Systems: Page 24
Eight Tips for Starting with Python: Page 30
Python Events: Page 80
Peer Reviewed Section
Acknowledgment of Reviewers: Page 34
pypk - A Python extension module to handle chemical kinetics in plasma physics modeling: Page 35
The Why and How for Design Patterns: Page 48
Python Switch Statement: Page 58
An Introduction to Test Driven Generation: Page 64

Please help to spread the word about the release of this issue.

Thanks very much for your readership,
-Tennessee Leeuwenburg, Editor-In-Chief

Interview -- "Why They Do Python"

2007-12-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to participate in an interview of a panel of Python experts by Odin Jobs, a recruitment site. Happy to help raise the profile of Python, I accepted. The interview, which includes ten other Pythoneers, is now available at http://www.odinjobs.com/blogs/careers/entry/python_experts_why_they_do.

Inception of The Python Papers: Monograph Series

2007-11-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

We at The Python Papers are putting together another forum for publications which may not be suited to the quarterly issues. Over the next little while, we will be calling for submissions to this new publication series.

What is The Python Papers Monograph Series?

The Python Papers Monograph Series (ISSN under application) is a sub-publication of The Python Papers (ISSN 1834-3147). This monograph series provides a refereed format for publication of monograph-length reports including dissertations, conference proceedings, case studies, advanced-level lectures, and similar material of theoretical or empirical importance. It does so quickly, informally and at a high level, where the Python programming language is an integral aspect.

In some cases, the timeliness of a manuscript is more important than its form, which may be unfinished or unpolished. Hence, it is possible that proofs may be outlined with an intention to publish elsewhere at a later date.

Refereeing is done by members of the The Python Papers' editorial board and other authorities in the topic concerned and may be acknowledged in name in the published form. Scientific quality is the over-riding criterion for refereeing.

Suggestions for publication, in the form of outlines and representative samples, are invited by the editorial board for assessment. Potential authors should contact the editors at editor@pythonpapers.org.

Publication in this monograph series is intended as a service to the Python users and scientific community at large. Work in this series is licensed under the Creative Commons 2.5 license subject to Attribution, Non-Commercial and Share-Alike conditions. The full legal code may be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncsa/2.1/au/. Once published and copyrighted, they can be documented and discussed in the scientific literature.

Additional author documents available

2007-11-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

We have just put up two new policy documents, namely our policy towards Open-Access repositories (we're for them) and "What Should I Write", a helper guide for prospective new authors.

They available in various formats from http://pythonpapers.org/authors.html.

Cheers,
-T

Launch of personal blog

2007-10-28T22:41:00.001-07:00

A few times I have posted personal comments in this forum. I have decided to launch a new blog, myownhat.blogspot.com, which will cover technical comments, but made without my Editor-In-Chief hat on. Rather, I will be posting under My Own Hat.

First post available now.

Thanks,
-Tennessee

p.s. the next issue is going to be .... big. Subscribe to the mailing list to ensure you don't miss out (see the previous blog post for details)

Subscribe Subscriptions

2007-10-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

The Python Papers is pleased to announce the creation of a subscriptions mailing list. It has come to our attention that a significant number of readers rely on email communications to keep them informed. Our usual method of simply announcing each release through planet.python is probably not reaching all interested parties.

Simply send an email to majordomo@pythonpapers.org with 'subscribe subscriptions' in the body in order to be notified of new issues and major news updates such as the call for papers.

This database will be used for notification purposes only and will not be provided to any third-party or be used to carry information not strictly related to important Python Papers announcements.

Happy Reading!
Tennessee Leeuwenburg
(Editor-In-Chief, The Python Papers).

Call for papers for Volume 2, Issue 4

2007-09-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

We would like to call for papers, articles, opinion pieces and feedback to include in Volume 2, Issue 4 of The Python Papers. It is our hope to make this issue the best yet and are actively seeking articles from companies which make use of Python and 'hot-topics' such as web programming, Python for beginners and discussions about Python performance. Any article will be gratefully received, of course, so do not let the above list of suggestions deter you from considering an article on another topic.

We also need volunteers from Python User Groups to include an article on the activities, members and geographical area of their local group.

Expressions of Interest Close: Monday, 15 October

Initial Draft Submission Deadline: Monday, 5 November
Editorial Process Concludes (i.e. Final Version Due): Monday, 26th November
PDF Release Date: Monday, 17 December (approximate)

If you are considering submitting an article, please let us know A.S.A.P., even if you are only thinking about it. This will allow us to post email reminders of important dates to prospective authors, as well as giving us an indication of content.

If you are unable to submit an article according to the schedule above, please let us know of your interest anyway, and we will involve you in the publication cycle for the following edition.

Contact us at editor@pythonpapers.org

Cheers,
-Tennessee
Editor In Chief, The Python Papers

Python Papers Reader Survey

2007-09-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings, readers. I have put together a survey designed to capture a little information about how I can better target "The Python Papers" towards the needs of its readers. This survey has been created as a part of my "Marketing Management" assignment for my Masters of Business Administration study. The results will be used to help create a marketing plan for The Python Papers and should also help a great deal in practical terms. It will help to guide our efforts when soliciting articles from potential authors and other content-generation activities. The questions relate to primarily to areas of interest and are non-personal.

The survey can be found at http://freeonlinesurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=nhozmh9qv9hl2oe333133 . The survey is not a long one and I imagine could be completed in under five minutes.

Thanks very much,
-Tennessee Leeuwenburg
(Editor-In-Chief, The Python Papers)

Scribd version of The Python Papers, Volume 2, Issue 3 now available

2007-09-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

The scribd version of the latest issue is now available from http://www.scribd.com/doc/272054/ThePythonPapersVolume2Issue3. Scribd allows people to view the PDF through a flash viewer, download the issue as PDF, MS Word or as plain text. An audio (MP3) version is also available here.

The original PDF is directly available from The Python Papers website

Thanks,
-Tennessee
(Editor-In-Chief, The Python Papers)

The Python Papers, Volume 2, Issue 3 now available

2007-09-05T02:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

The next issue of "The Python Papers" is now available from here . The HTML version will be made available shortly after conversion and editing. Sorry to everyone for the delays in releasing this issue, but they were necessary in order to maintain quality. The table of contents for this issue is:

Industry Articles
Letter from the editor	Pages 3
Python User Group Highlights: Introducing BrisPy	Pages 5-6
The Barriers Women Face in Tech Communities	Pages 7-13
Python Testimonials	Pages 14-17
The Longest Common Substring and Sentence Modification	Pages 18-27
Python Events	Page 44
Peer Reviewed Section
Pyphant - A Python Framework for Modelling Reusable Information Processing Tasks	Pages 28-43

All the best,
-Tennessee Leeuwenburg
(Editor-In-Chief, "The Python Papers")

Release delay

2007-08-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

Many apologies. The demands of work at the moment are preventing me from releasing The Python Papers according to schedule. When the magazine is ready, it will be published. This should be within the week and apologies to all for this delay. Preparing the magazine takes a significant number of hours in order to properly proof-read and visually lay out the articles. As such, it will still be a few days before this process is complete.

Thanks,
-Tennessee

PyLinkedIn

2007-08-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Tennessee here. I'd just like to comment on the PyLinkedIn effort. It's really nice to see so many people connecting to one another. I see it as a way to improve the connectedness of the community. I have accepted many invitations which people have made on my LinkedIn account but I have declined others. I personally prefer to connect to people I know or have some connection with. Others may have a different philosophy which is fair enough also.

I would recommend that people use their networks socially, not just as a means for increasing connections. While being well-connected in the network is great, it is far more effective to be socially connected. In order to strengthen the social bonds as well as the purely technical connections in the community, a measure of participation will be required.

So, to those who I have connected with, thanks for the invitations. To those whom I have not accepted, I look forward to getting to know you at some stage and I will be happy to connect up later!

All the best,
-Tennessee Leeuwenburg (Editor-In-Chief, The Python Papers)

Next Issue Due: August 25

2007-08-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

In a slight deviation from published timelines, the next issue of The Python Papers will be made available on August 25! We have another great issue being assembled as we speak and I'm sure it will contain something for everyone.

Stay tuned and make sure you grab your copy in just over a week's time.

Regards,
-Tennessee Leeuwenburg
(Editor-In-Chief, The Python Papers)

1 Week until First Draft Deadline

2007-06-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

This is a short announcement to let potential contributors to The Python Papers know that the deadline for the first draft is now just one week away! If submissions could be in by Monday 2 July, that would be greatly appreciated. Late submissions risk not being included in our next issue, so even if the article is incomplete, it is important to let us know by Monday 2 July, and, if possible, please include the current state of your article.

Thanks,
-The Editors

HTML Version of The Python Papers, Volume 2, Issue 2 now available

2007-06-16T03:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

The Python Papers, Volume 2, Issue 2 is now available at http://archive.pythonpapers.org/Volume2/Volume2Issue2/ThePythonPapersVolume2Issue2.html . We realise that the quality isn't as high as the PDF version, but this is also why we choose to make the PDF version our official version. We hope this additional format will help The Python Papers reach a greater audience, and that with time conversion tools will allow us to release increasingly high quality version of The Python Papers in multiple formats.

The conversion was achieved using odfpy, which is available from http://www.opendocumentfellowship.org/projects/odfpy.

If anyone is happy to help us improve the quality of our HTML format, please let us know -- we would love to hear from you!

Thanks,
-Tennessee

New Website for The Python Papers

2007-06-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

The Python Papers now boasts a new website, which represents a significant step forward. The journal is now more accessible (1 click instead of 2), and a lot of other information is also closer to the surface.

We realise that it could be better, so if you have any thoughts or comments, or indeed would be happy to help us work on the site further, please contact us at editor@pythonpapers.org.

All the best,
-Tennessee

3141 visitors since the latest issue

2007-05-30T03:05:00.000-07:00

We at The Python Papers are thrilled with the response to the latest issue. We have had 3141 visitors in the eight days since the launch (and counting). This is a fantastic response -- nearly as many as the previous issue in total!

We will shortly be releasing the HTML version, and also launching a new website.

Readers will have noticed the call for papers for the next issue. We have achieved a great standard of article, but can only continue in this vein with the help of the Python community. We would love to hear from you, and are happy to work with individuals in putting together an article.

Feedback is also greatly appreciated -- we always try to respond to questions and queries, and like to hear about readers impressions, good or bad! If you would like to see your feedback published in the next edition, please indicate this in your emails, as we will not publish such comments without explicit permission.

The Python Papers may be contacted at editor@pythonpapers.org

All the best,
-Tennessee (Editor-In-Chief)

Call for Papers For Volume 2, Issue 3

2007-05-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Python Papers Publication Schedule

Expressions of Interest Close: Sunday 1st July

Initial Draft Submission Deadline: Monday 2nd July
Editorial Process Concludes (i.e. Final Version Due): Monday 16th July
PDF Release Date: Monday 20th August (approximate)

If you are considering submitting an article, please let us know A.S.A.P., even if you are only thinking about it. This will allow us to post email reminders of important dates to prospective authors, as well as giving us an indication of content.

If you are unable to submit an article according to the schedule above, please let us know of your interest anyway, and we will involve you in the publication cycle for the following edition.
Contact us at editor@pythonpapers.org

Cheers,
-Tennessee
Editor In Chief, The Python Papers

Python Papers 2.2 Now on Scribd

2007-05-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

http://www.scribd.com/doc/70317/The-Python-Papers-Volume-2-Issue-2 is the URL to view The Python Papers in multiple formats. Scribd converts the PDF to MS Word, Plain Text and MP3, and also provides a flash PDF viewer for anyone who does not have a PDF viewer on their system.

Of course, the original is still available from our website.

While I realise this is not an exhaustive list of formats, it certainly increases the accessibility of The Python Papers. We are still exploring options for providing an HTML version without having to re-author the entire journal for each edition. Watch this space.

All the best,
-Tennessee (Editor-In-Chief)

Volume 2, Issue 2 released

2007-05-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Volume 2, Issue 2 of The Python Papers is now available! Download it from www.pythonpapers.org.

This issue marks a major landmark in our publication. We present a number of industry articles. These include "Python in Education" and "MPD WebAMP", as well as a great insight into Python in Germany, a wrap-up of PyCon 2007, a preview of EuroPython 2007 and a look at some great videos prepared by primary school students. Our peer-reviewed section reproduces two selected papers which were originally presented at the Open Source Developer's Conference 2006 (Melbourne, Australia).

Check it out and let us know what you think.

All the best,
The Python Papers Team
Posted by Tennessee Leeuwenburg on 2007/05/22

Volume 2, Issue 2 waiting at the door

2007-05-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

A thousand apologies! The next issue of The Python Papers is prepared and ready to be published. Unfortunately, due to technical issues, The Python Papers website is unable to accept the file for publishing. We hope this problem will be resolved very shortly, and everyone can resume normal viewing.

Thanks,
-Tennessee (Editor-In-Chief)

Python Papers Release Date now Monday 21 May

2007-05-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

The Python Papers is set to release its next issue on Monday, 21 May. It has been a very busy time for the Editor-In-Chief, but we have collected some really fantastic articles, and are set to release a real blockbuster! For those keeping track, a one week delay was introduced in order to ensure that we could do a high quality job of the PDF. The HTML version will be released on Monday 28 May.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed, and also to our growing and sustained readership who have made this all worthwhile. Without that kind of support, this effort would not have held the attention of all involved.

All the best,
-Tennessee (Editor-In-Chief, The Python Papers)

Scribd is cool

2007-04-05T14:14:00.001-07:00

I was just Googling to see what people were saying about The Python Papers, and I came across this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/6424/The-Python-Papers

This awesome website provides a (flash?) rendering of the PDF version of the last edition, and includes multiple export formats. Most remarkably, it includes an MP3 export. After listening to it, I must say that I am amazed at the quality of the text-to-speech processing, especially compared to previous explorations I have made into this option.

Cool!

All the best,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief, The Python Papers)

Drafts due in 3 days

2007-04-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Things have been quiet on the blog for a little while, but we are ramping up now as the third edition of The Python Papers moves rapidly towards reality. Prospective authors have been contacted already, but if you are interested in submitting a late article, feel free to contact me at editor@pythonpapers.org. Drafts are due on Monday 9 April, but we will accept articles past this deadline, with the qualification that it may not be possible to complete the editorial process and therefore they may not be included.

It looks as though we will have a bumper edition, including paper reviews from OSDC, significant articles from a number of Python developers, and discussions on Python in education. It is great to see the momentum continue to build.

One section we always include is a listing of upcoming events. It would be great if anyone organising an event -- be it a PUG meetup, Python course, conference, or another kind of event -- would let us know if they would like us to include expanded information.

Also, while I have recieved much feedback on various mailing lists and news fora, it would be great to have some publishable comments. Unless directed to submissions@pythonpapers.org, I don't believe that we have the right to publish the material. (If I'm wrong, let me know!). Positive, or negative, I'd love to include some community response.

All the best,
-Tennessee (Editor In Chief, The Python Papers)

Call for Papers for Edition Three

2007-02-26T14:12:00.000-08:00

Python Papers Publication Schedule

Expressions of Interest Close : Sunday 8 April

Initial Draft Submission Deadline : Monday 9 April
Editorial Process Concludes (i.e. Final Version Due) : Monday 30 April
PDF Release Date : Monday 14 May
HTML Release Date : Monday 21 May

If you are considering submitting an article, please let us know A.S.A.P., even if you are only thinking about it. This will allow us to post email reminders of important dates to prospective authors, as well as giving us an indication of content.
If you are unable to submit an article according to the schedule above, please let us know of your interest anyway, and we will involve you in the publication cycle for the following edition.

Cheers,
-Tennessee
Editor In Chief, The Python Papers

Information for Authors resource now available

2007-02-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

We have just completed our "Information for Authors" pack, which prospective contributors to The Python Papers may find useful when preparing their submissions. It contains information on the publication cycle, suggestions for contributions, intellectual property information and style recommendations. Obviously, it is meant to a tool, not a constriction to author freedom.

The PDF is available from http://archive.pythonpapers.org/InformationForAuthors.pdf , and HTML and ODT are available from the site also.

Good writing!,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief, The Python Papers)

Vote for your favourite article or paper

2007-02-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

The next edition of The Python Papers is to feature an in-depth summary and review of the best literature on the topic released in the past year. We will be examining the conference proceedings of OSDC, PyCon and others for candidates, but we need your help in scouring the Internet for other sources.

We would like to present a full overview of the years efforts, and are happy to include contributions from blogs, other conferences and presentations, or as-yet unpublished works which may be appropriate.

If you know of a good source of articles and papers which can be included in our efforts, or you would like to recommend one in particular, we would love to hear from you.

Please email your feedback to editor@pythonpapers.org

Cheers,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

Volume 2 Issue 1 HTML now available

2007-02-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

http://archive.pythonpapers.org/ThePythonPapersVolume2Issue1.html

Hi Pythonistas!

The HTML version of the latest edition is now available from the above URL. The editors understand that the web layout lacks the sophistication of the PDF, or indeed that possible under HTML. However, we will endeavour to improve on the quality of future releases as we gain familiarity with the dual-format publishing model.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the content of this new edition.

Cheers,
-T

Python Papers Volume 2, Issue 1 Revisions

2007-02-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

Due to unforeseeable events entirely beyond my control, a few editorial flaws had *somehow* crept into the PDF that was made available earlier today.

Apologies for the innaccuracies and formatting issues, which have since been corrected.

Yours Sincerely,
-Tennessee Leeuwenburg
(Editor-In-Chief)
Posted by Tennessee Leeuwenburg on 2007/02/09

Python Papers second issue now available!

2007-02-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

G'day Pythonistas! Welcome to Issue Two of The Python Papers. It has been an exciting time and we are pleased to have reached this milestone. I'd like to say a big hello to all the people who have provided their input in making this a reality: the python-advocacy list, comp.lang.python, the Python User Groups that responded to the call to participate and also many individuals. This is also the first issue where we have attempted to publish both a PDF and an HTML edition.

Get it here!

Please note the new volume number commences with the calendar year, so the volume number has increased while the issue number is the same as the last issue.

The choice of format was clearly an issue for many people on both sides. Going forward, we will continue to use PDF as our primary 'authorative' version for the purposes of page numbering and referencing, however the HTML edition will be made public in a day or two after further editing to cope with conversion effects.

Table of Contents: Editorial | Page 1
Python 411 Interview | Page 2
Coding Idioms pt 2 -- Design Patterns | Page 5
Python User Group Highlights | Page 7
Firebird Database Backup by
Serialized Database Table Dump | Page 10
Python Events | P15
Cheers, -Tennessee Leeuwenburg (Editor-In-Chief)

Submit your Quotes

2007-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Volume Two of The Python Papers is on its way, and it would be great to get some more words from the community in there. Submit your own quotes to submissions@pythonpapers.org to get a brief comment included in our next publication. Please include any attribution information you wish...

Let's get the ball rolling:

"Python? I switched and never looked back." -- Tennessee Leeuwenburg

Submissions taken until Jan 23rd, so get 'em in fast!

Cheers,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

Submission Deadline Imminent

2007-01-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

To those who have submitted content for The Python Papers, we salute you. To the rest, we will be accepting zero-hour submissions up until the time of publication. However, the closer the deadline gets, the less likely it is that submissions will be processed in time. Submissions may be kept for the next edition, however.

This edition will also be aimed to complement the upcoming PyCon 2007. As we offer peer-review for academic publications, we hope to offer an opportunity to participants who might regard this as an advantage.

We would still like to hear from anyone participating in any Python User's Group to be a spokesperson. We will feature a series of articles covering PUGs from around the world, and it would be fantastic to show people just how diverse, wide-ranging and interesting the Python community really is.

Cheers,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

Python 411 Interview

2007-01-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

The Python Papers is proud to have been part of a collaboration with Python 411. A new podcast is up at http://awaretek.com/python/index.html for your listening pleasure!

This blog post will shortly be amended to include more information, but for the time being this is just a short news alert...

All the best,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

Second call for Papers

2006-12-18T14:03:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time, so everyone's obviously very busy organising their holiday activities. I hope everyone reading this is preparing for a nice break!

However, the clock keeps ticking towards Edition Two, and it is now three weeks until the proposals deadline. A proposal is, in the case of an academic submission, something which is ready for the peer review process, or in the case of an industry or editorial article, something which can begin the editorial process.

We already have a number of submissions, but we would love to recieve more, especially from user groups who are happy to share their stories with the rest of the Python world.

Thanks for coming along for the ride, everyone!

Cheers,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

OSDC 2006 Open for Business

2006-12-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

Well, today is the first day of the Open Source Developer's conference in Melbourne, Australia. I will be attending myself from tomorrow, so if anyone wants to come up and say "Hi," please do so!

Richard Jones is also heavily involved, and Maurice Ling is also presenting. Unfortunately, we don't have t-shirts or anything, so you'll have to work it out from the program. Maybe next year...

Also, we will almost certainly have an OSDC article full of photographs and comments about this major event. Should there be sufficient content, we may even have an OSDC special edition, but it is more likely that we will simply include it in what is gearing up to be a real bumper edition of The Python Papers for February.

Cheers,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

Python Papers archive site launched

2006-12-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

archive.pythonpapers.org has now been designated for holding past issues of The Python Papers in a way that can be directly-linked and indexed.

Bots, I invite thee!

The publishing web software we use is fantastic, but isn't really for building websites. It's for publishing things, and that's just fine. Archive.pythonpapers.org will hold all issues of the Python Papers in whatever formats can be reasonably exported to.

At the moment, the site is extremely basic, but we will undertake some redesign for attractiveness over the coming days and weeks.

Link to The Python Papers, Volume 1, Issue 1 points directly to the PDF of the current issue.

Cheers,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

Python Around the World

2006-11-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

For the next edition of The Python Papers, we would like to include contributions from around the world. If you are a member of a Python User's Group in any country, we would love to hear from you.

We have contacted a number of groups individually, but due to a number of reasons it has been difficult to find an appropriate contact person. This is especially true for Python User's Groups with websites not presented in English.

If you are from a country where English is not the primary language, we would be happy to present the article in the original language alongside an English translation.

If you would like to participate, but are unsure about what to include, here are some suggestions:
* Where the user group is based
* Who are the active members
* How long the group has existed for
* How frequently meetings are held
* Any particular programming interests held by members
* Upcoming events
* Photographs of the local area
* Information on local culture
* Comments on how Python is used in your country

Please email editor@pythonpapers.org for more information, where a member of the editorial board will be able to respond promptly to your query.

Cheers,
-T

Call for Papers

2006-11-27T04:38:00.000-08:00

The Python Papers would like to call for submissions for the next edition.

Submissions may be academic or industrial. Academic submissions will undergo a peer-review process prior to final publication, while industrial submissions may be reviewed by the editorial board.

In order to allow sufficient time to complete the review process, we must start collating entries now. Academic and Industrial proposals will be accepted until and including January 8th. Following this will be a review period, with final submissions due February 9.

We are happy to include submissions on a wide array of topics, including but not restricted to:
* Research articles
* Web technologies -- frameworks, implementations, discussions, proposals etc
* Request for comments -- code submissions for discussion and review by The Python Papers team
* Events listings -- please let us know of any local events happening during the next quarter in your area
* Python User Group focus articles. It would be great to have content from all around the globe to highlight the breadth of takeup of Python and bring people closer together.

Please email any submissions or queries to editor@pythonpapers.org where one of the editorial board members will be able to promptly respond.

Cheers,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

Letters to the Editor

2006-11-24T04:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it's day four of publication. We have had a number of comments in comp.lang.python, and have been picked up by a couple of blogs. As expected, most comments have been positive about the content, and somewhat technically critical of the distribution mechanism and some other issues.

Some of the highlights have included being contacted individually by readers who share an interest in particular topics or have something to say. It is this kind of response that will eventually give the journal a life of its own beyond what is injected by the editorial board. Moving towards this state is highly desirable.

I would love to see, for example, connections being made through the articles in the magazine. On this basis, I would like to encourage people to email comments for publication to letters@pythonpapers.org of about 20-70 words, letting us know of their specific interests. Please include a statement about what form of attribution you would like us to include, otherwise we will post letters anonymously.

The journal is released under the Creative Commons License, subject to Noncommercial, Attribution and Share-Alike conditions. Emailing to letters@pythonpapers.org indicates the author's agreement to releasing their comments under this restriction. It is also for this reason that we cannot include comments from newsgroups or personal emails without explicit permission of the authors.

Cheers,
-T
(Editor-In-Chief)

Where to next?

2006-11-22T04:35:00.000-08:00

The first edition is out, and is percolating through the Internet as we speak. God speed, little journal!

While a great deal of the editorial focus is now on the next version, let's do a little bit of navel-gazing on what we have achieved so far.

* Journal registration. We now have our very own ISSN number. There are many like it, but this one is ours. It is a small badge of respectability which will allow us to start to build a good reputation, and step up to fill some of the information gaps in the Python community.

* Academic articles. We've published one, and another has been submitted. While the most popular (read elite) journals may always have their 'pick' of articles, we have two things going for us: (1) We promote freedom of information -- this means something to some people; (2) We are more focused, and as such may become a better source for Python than other generalist journals.

* Industry articles. We've published one, and have more on the way. In the case of the Python Papers, these articles are not merely extended advertisements as in the case of many more glossy productions, but in-the-trenches works covering real problems and solutions.

* Diversity. While in a sense we are very Australian at this stage, the editorial board are not just 'a bunch of mates', although we are becoming fast friends as we all work together. We represent a diversity of backgrounds and opinions, something which I feel brings vitality and energy.

* A move away from the 'heroic' model of article production. Expert blogs are a wonderful source of information, but this puts enormous load on individuals to keep producing great articles, and is also isolationist. By moving away from any particular individual, the Python Papers can bring in any voice without being tribal.

We hope this recommends us to you.

Cheers,
-T (Editor-In-Chief)

Volume 1, Edition 1 makes history

2006-11-21T04:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to The Python Papers. This journal, small though it is, represents the careful efforts of a small group of Python enthusiasts who are keen to form a better community in which developers may work.

As Editor-In-Chief, my role is manifold, but my goals are to improve the level of connectedness of Python developers, and in so doing improve my own developer experience.

The entire editorial board has put time into making this publication something which will hopefully lead to a buildup of momentum, fuelled by the enthusiastic involvement of others who find Python as exciting as we do.

The current issue contains one academic, peer-reviewed article, one industry article, and a list of events coming up in Melbourne, Australia. We would like to expand this list significantly. We offer our services in organising, collating and reviewing submitted content such that Python developers around the world may participate in the creation of something bigger than all of us, for the benefit of all of us. It may be a small journal, a little thing really, but all are welcome, and we look forward to getting to know our readers through the written word.

Please download the first edition, and consider both what it is and what it might be.

For those of you looking to publish an academic paper as a part of coursework or for interest's sake alone, we can offer a formal review process which will meet those guidelines while preserving the goals of freedom of information and community spirit.

Those who are using Python in their work may like to consider using the journal as a means of expressing successes or frustrations with either the language itself or specific applications. We may be able to offer code reviews and style guides, and would be happy to hear about and help propagate news of what is happening so that everyone can take an interest.

For those who would like a reliable source of information, The Python Papers presents a unique and current view into the state of Python at large.

To all of you, welcome!
Cheers,
-Tennessee (Editor-In-Chief)