Inheriting a Large Python Code Base & Building a GUI With Kivy

What are the unique challenges of a large Python code base? What techniques can you implement to simplify the management of a big project? This week on the show, Christopher Trudeau is here, bringing another batch of PyCoder’s Weekly articles and projects.

We discuss a recent thread on Hacker News about working with a large Python code base. Christopher advises configuring tests and using tools to keep your code consistent across an organization. He also answers several questions about code complexity, typing, and leveraging third-party libraries.

We cover several other articles and projects from the Python community, including news from the Python Language Summit, Kivy for GUI development, the power of bit manipulation, the removal of unused import statements in your code, and a Python-based iOS project for adding reminders about links from a podcast.

Course Spotlight: Build Cross-Platform GUI Apps With Kivy

In this video course, you’ll learn how to build a cross-platform mobile application with Python and the Kivy GUI framework. You’ll discover how to develop an application that can run on your desktop as well as your phone. Then, you’ll package your app for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Topics:

00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:43 – Python 3.13 Removes 20 Stdlib Modules
00:03:20 – Making the Global Interpreter Lock Optional
00:04:52 – What Is the Standard Library For?
00:06:14 – Python’s .__call__() Method: Creating Callable Instances
00:11:40 – The Power of Bit Manipulation
00:15:39 – Using Kivy for GUI Development
00:21:18 – Video Course Spotlight
00:22:43 – How Do You Deal With Large Python Code Bases?
00:40:50 – unimport: Remove Unused Import Statements in Your Code
00:42:36 – Update: rsync-time-machine.py
00:43:20 – memocast: Add links heard in podcasts into iOS reminders
00:47:42 – A request to listeners
00:48:20 – Thanks and goodbye

Show Links:

Python 3.13 Removes 20 Stdlib Modules – Core developers are busy working on PEP 594, removing dead batteries from Python 3.13. This long post in the discussion forum highlights what work has been completed so far.
Making the Global Interpreter Lock Optional – In the past, Sam Gross has outlined how to make the GIL optional in CPython. He presented at the Python Language Summit, providing updates on his progress and future plans for the project.
PEP 703 – Making the Global Interpreter Lock Optional in CPython | peps.python.org
PEP 703 - Discussion on Python.org
What Is the Standard Library For? – This post summarizes a conversation at the Python Language Summit proposing that guidelines be defined for when something should be added to the standard library.
Python’s .__call__() Method: Creating Callable Instances – In this tutorial, you’ll learn what a callable is in Python and how to create callable instances using the .__call__() special method in your custom classes. You’ll also code several examples of practical use cases for callable instances in Python.
The Power of Bit Manipulation – In this article, you learn about bit manipulation and how to solve problems efficiently using it in Python.
Using Kivy for GUI Development – Kivy is an open-source Python library for developing desktop and mobile GUI apps. It’s supported on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS. This article introduces you to Kivy and teaches you how to build your first GUI with it.