Python Fundamentals with Wesley Chun

Please join us on November 5th, as we are fortunate to have Wesley Chun presenting an overview of the language and its features. Below is Wesley's bio, and a peek at what will be addressed in the presentation.

Agenda -
7-7:30p Refreshments / Pizza / Networking
7:30-8:30p Main Talk
8:30p-8:45p Q & A
8:45p-? More networking

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What is Python?

Python is an agile object-oriented programming language that is continuing to build momentum... popular with Win32 programmers because of its ease of creating COM clients plus IronPython for the .NET world, Jython for Java developers, and always popular with the LAMP and Linux/*BSD/Solaris/MacOS X crowd for applications and web development -- especically for Python's equivalents to Rails frameworks: Django (including Google App Engine), TurboGears, and Pylons, all to build RIAs with, not to mention Zope and Plone, plus Trac and Mailman, the wiki+issue-tracker and popular mailing list manager, respectively. You web developers also know about JSON format... did you know that it maps nearly identically to Python's dictionary/hash type? Of course Python can do XML/ReST/XSLT/RSS, multithreading, SQL/databases, GUIs, hardcore math/science, networking (including Twisted), QA/test, GIS/ESRI, automation frameworks, plus all of your system administration tasks too! Finally, Python can be found at the heart of the OLPC. Have you noticed the huge growth in the number of jobs on Monster and Dice that list Python as a desired skill?

Python can do everything Java, C/C++/C#, Ruby, PHP, and Perl can do, but it's much easier and more fun! You can code as fast as you think! Because of Python's simple yet robust syntax, it's a great tool to teach programming with as well as a solid (first) language to learn for non-programmers and other technical staff. Come find out why Google, Yahoo!, Disney, YouTube, BitTorrent, LucasFilm/ILM, NASA, Ubuntu, and Red Hat all use Python! This seminar is designed by Wesley Chun, software engineer, technical trainer, and author of Prentice-Hall's best-selling "Core Python Programming" (and co-author of the forthcoming "Python Web Development with Django"), for those wanting to find out what Python is all about!

We have had great success and feedback giving this seminar in the past, such as at other conferences as well as to academia:
http://cc07.siliconva...
http://conferences.or...
http://cs.sfsu.edu/ne...
http://conferences.or...
http://conferences.or...
http://csociety.ecn.p...

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Wesley Chun

WESLEY J. CHUN, MSCS, is the author of Prentice Hall's bestseller, "Core Python Programming" (http://corepython.com..., its video training course, "Python Fundamentals" (LiveLessons DVD), co-author of "Python Web Development with Django" (http://withdjango.com..., and has also written various technical articles for Linux Journal and cNet. He is currently a senior engineer at NearbyNow (http://nearbynow.com...) and also runs CyberWeb (http://cyberwebconsul..., a consulting business specializing in Python software engineering and technical training. He has over 25 years of programming, teaching, and writing experience, including more than a decade of Python. While at Yahoo!, he helped create Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! People Search using Python. He holds degrees in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Music from the University of California.