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Agenda for Python Workshop 5

This agenda has been revised to reflect the papers and presentation that have been submitted for the workshop.

Session 1: Open Forum on Python Extensions

Session Monitor: Barry Warsaw

Papers and Presentations This session is open for presentations on any Python based application or extension. We are particularly interested in a status report and discussion related to Scientific Python extensions.

Open Discussion

Following the presentations there will be time allocated for an open discussion on Python extensions. We are particularly interested in getting feedback on the Numeric extension and the OpenGL interface, but other extensions can are also welcome in the discussion. Some examples of potential topics that may be discussed in this session include:
  • Python documentation tools...
  • Commerical opportunities for authors of Python extensions
  • Compiling Python,
  • Symbolic manipulation of Python expressions,
  • Extending the functional language interface,
  • A shrinkwrap package of Apache/Python server (installs in 245sec)
  • ILU and Python and distributed objects
  • Standardizing doc strings for better a better world. (gendoc rocks)
  • Image Processing with Python (A PIL a day to keep the doctor away)

Session 2:Using Python with the World Wide Web

Session Monitor:Michael McLay

Papers and Presentations

This session was added to accomodate the large number of papers written on the subject of using Python for World Wide Web servers. It's a popular topic so this was not much of a surprise.

Session 3: Preserving Investments in Legacy Software

Session Monitor: Robin Friedrich

Papers and Presentations

This session will have presentations by organizations that are using Python to preserve the valuable portions of legacy systems by wrapping the old code in a modern object oriented language. Many government agencies are stretching their IS funds by following this strategy. Sample topics for the session:

  • Using Python to solve year 2000 problems
  • Wrapping old FORTRAN code in Python
  • Giving an application a GUI face lift
  • Hooking old database software into the WWW
  • FortranG (Python as the next version of FORTRAN)

Panel Topic: COTS vs. free software from the Internet

This session will end with a panel discussion of the participants who have integrated Python into a legacy software system. The the panel will discuss the positive and negative aspects of their decision to use Python rather than rewriting their software around Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) software.

Session 4: Planning Python 2.0 with Guido

Session Monitor:Guido von Rossum

Papers and Presentations

A session with Guido to discuss the next phase of Python's development. (Planning for Python 2.0)

Subjects for discussion:

  • 2.0 backwards compatibility. Will it be an issue?
  • New feature requests: private members, nested scopes, optional static type declarations
  • Eliminating the use of the C stack
  • Problems with building the Python core distribution and separate extension distributions
  • The future of the GUI: Tkinter as an abstract API?
  • The call for mega-widgets for Tkinter
  • Why isn't package XXX in the core distribution