This month’s meeting was held at Lansky’s. While this was a small gathering talk centered around current work in Python. Some Android coolness was shown and tidbits of python were found here and there.

Topics:

• Django is a high-level Python Web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. and Pinax, a Django based platform for rapidly developing websites – Charles Kaminski

Charles led a lively discussion of his use of Pinax and Django while create Emily’s Project Emily’s Project is an effort to document pricing for different medicine’s. As an example, a major retailer may offer DrugX for $4 and DrugY for $100, while another local outlet may offer DrugY for $28. Depending on your insurance or lack thereof, this can make a big difference in the amount of money you spend for medicine.

Charles researched a number of platforms to use in building this project and had hoped to use a Python based solution. In his research on Django he came across Pinax. Pinax is Django but in an easy to use format and also with a number of Django apps that utilize the Pinax way of interoperability. That means they are very easy to make work with one another, leaving you to the work of developing your site, not figuring out the proper way to wire the two apps together. As examples, Charles showed off the Invite module. Invitations are a popular way of controlling the number of users as you progress from alpha -> beta -> gamma -> release. They’ve been used by Google and other sites with much success. Wiring in invitations on Emily’s Project was as simple as enabling a module in Pinax. The same was true for the wiki component and logins.

The demonstration also showed how easy it is to support multiple languages and databases.

Topics:

• pysftp – secure ftp module
• Lightning Talks
• Group Q and A session

This month we met at the Fox and Hound, however, the noise levels at times were disruptive. In general it was decent meeting area but too loud thanks to juke box which they had no ability to control sound levels in the meeting room. The sound control worked the entire side of the building. Oh well, next meeting — something new!

Topics:

• couchdb and Python
• editing Python w/ vim
• Lightning Talks
• Group Q and A session

Refreshments:

This venue DOES have refreshments and food

Meeting Talks/Topics:

* python – how it enables , Burch talked about his amazement with the things he has accomplished with Python even though he is not a classical programmer.
* pyyaml – a more use friendly configuration tool. Jeff talked about his module, YamJam that uses pyyaml to store configuration information for multiple projects
* keyczar – An open source Google project that has the goal of making encryption and signing easier and less error prone.

This month’s meeting notes:

Meeting/Talk Topics:

• CherryPy and Adobe Flex (Jeff Hinrichs) – Jeff showed a standard CherryPy + Cheetah application that he used as a base and then how he integrated Adobe Flex for a spiffed up interface. A code walk through was given featuring the MXML used and the Flex Builder for Linux alpha
• Wing IDE (Charles Kaminski) – Charles had a great presentation on the Wing IDE Charles ran a completely live presentation showing code intelligence, debugging and lots of other goodies that Wing has to offer Python programmers. It was such a good presentation that I am seriously considering buying it.
• A number of people attending retold their stories of their first exposure to Python and how they get to use Python at work.

It was a great meeting. Charles brought up the idea of possibly finding a mid-town watering hole and having the meetings in a back room. So if anyone knows of a place that supports both libations and presentations in the mid-town area please let us know.

A partial list of other topics discussed include:

• Shed Skin – An Optimizing Python-to-C++ Compiler
• Android
• GvR and BDFL
• Nearest Neighbor Searches
• Cover Trees
• R-trees
• Linux vs. Windows as a development platform
• Multi-platform capabilities of Python
• Silicon Prairie News
• Tech Omaha

Because of a last-minute scheduling conflict, instead of meeting at Rosken’s Hall, Room 402 on UNO’s campus, We met in the 4th floor lounge in Rosken’s Hall. Outside of missing a projector, the lounge was outfitted with plenty of power and wired/wireless connections.

Meeting/Talk Topics:
* Django v. CherryPy and why CherryPy != Django
* Hosting Python based web apps — webfaction
* Elixir and other ORMs

It was a great, informal session. Lot’s of talk about current projects. The upcoming 2.6 and 3.0 releases.

This month’s meeting notes:

This month’s meeting was skipped due to the proximity of the meeting to elections. Nothing like an election night hang-over

This month’s meeting notes:

We met at Rosken’s Hall, Room 402 on UNO’s campus

It was a good, informal session. Lot’s of talk about current projects. The upcoming 2.6 and 3.0 releases.