PythonWA Meetup November - Optimizing Schedules & Testing Reusable Django Apps

Optimizing Schedules with Python: Combinatorial Techniques in Action
by Gaurav Singh

This talk dives into the world of combinatorial optimization and how Python can be used to solve complex scheduling problems. We'll explore tools like PuLP, Google OR-Tools, and Pyomo, demonstrating how to tackle real-world challenges such as scheduling, resource allocation, and workforce planning. By leveraging optimization techniques like linear programming, constraint satisfaction, and heuristic algorithms, we'll show how Python can be applied to generate efficient, optimal schedules in a variety of industries.

Gaurav brings over two decades of senior executive experience, focusing on decision sciences, digital transformation and technology in the mining industry and R&D sector. He is currently Managing Director of Decisions 360, a start-up that enables businesses to make improved decisions through AI.

Testing Reusable Django Applications
by Sam Bishop

Testing a reusable Django app can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be! From managing test matrices to getting more test coverage with less effort, there are solid solutions to tackle these issues. Sam Bishop will share practical tricks to keep reusable apps and libraries from spiraling out of control.
Building reusable Django apps can be tough on many fronts. Testing is one of those things that’s easy to push off, promising to add it “later” in the readme. But when testing does happen, Sam turns to the tools that have come through time and again—not only for testing client Django applications but also for the open-source Django apps he’s published on PyPI. This talk will dive into setting up packaging, managing a good test matrix that covers multiple Django versions and databases, and using PyTest and Hypothesis to squeeze every bit of value out of each line of test code.

Sam Bishop is a professional software developer with over a decade of experience, an Amateur rocket scientist and amateur astronomer. They loves Python, Django, cats, working on their personal software projects, everything to do with space, tinkering with 3D Printers, and playing games of all kinds.