Mark Lutz's "Blog" Page (original) (raw)

This page is an index to both noteworthy content and recent posts at this website.The header and footer wish to note their objection to calling this a "Blog" because that word is both fluid and trendy. But this qualifies on most counts (and "Posts" got 30% fewer hits). Below you'll find:

A Featured section which showcases premium content here
Curated posting lists that group items by date and category

In the former, tap icons or titles to visit pages. In the latter, higher means newer (roughly), and ⎋means off-site for hover-challenged gadgets. As of 2022, the latter's posts have also begun relocating to a continuation page for space. Most items on this page are not book-specific; for resources that are, see your book's support page.

Best-of bits:general, programs, andAndroid.

General

_Learning Python 6E_— The Next Chapter
	Thirty years in the making, 2025's Learning Python covers the many mods of Python and its world in the last dozen years. It also slims down in the process, in part by dropping Python 2.X.
_Teaching Python_— 25 Years of Spam (so far)
	Some history, opinion, and comedy from my first quarter century of Python training, writing, and promotion. If you have time, be sure to visit its photo gallery: tap its top-of-page scroll or this.
_Python Changes 2014-2024_— Frankenthon Lives!
	A technical and subjective-but-fair look at Python's expansion and convolution since the publication of Learning Python, 5th Edition. Keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times...
_Class Workbook_— Free Python Tutorial
	The HTML workbook from my former classes. It lacks the words and interaction that went with it, has holes where live demos belong, and is now quite dated, but you may find some of it useful.
_Python Strings_— The Web Cut
	An early-draft tutorial on Unicode and byte strings in Python, that went on to fame and fortune in large books and evolved separately here. Read the tangled tale and kiss your ASCII goodbye.

_thumbspage_— Image-Gallery Builder
	A program that uses Python, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to turn a folder of images into a gallery viewable both online and offline in any desktop or mobile browser. Plus rotating space monkeys.
_Mergeall_— Sync sans Cloud
	A cross-platform GUI+script that does fast backup and change propagation for content folders, no clouds required. With Mergeall, your stuff is your property, not someone else's point of control.
_ziptools_— Python's zipfile "++"
	A program+library that creates and extracts zips on all platforms, with tools Python's zipfile module lacks: symlink archiving, DST/timezone neutrality, and much more. Think zipfile on steroids.
_tagpix_— Organize Those Photos
	A tool that merges photos, adds origin dates to make them unique, and automatically handles duplicates—ideal for folks who let their picture folders grow out of control (and we know who we are).
_Programs Central_— Get Free Apps Here
	The distribution center for more free programs and software written in the Python programming language, which run on both PCs and smartphones, and come with privacy baked in. Track this!

_Mergeall on Android_— Wishful Syncing?
	Run Mergeall on your Android smartphone to sync content to and from a USB drive. No phone rooting or card removal required, though Android bugs and permissions keep it interesting.
_Tkinter on Android_— Yes, It Works
	Use desktop-level Python Tkinter GUIs on your Android devices, as long as you're willing to run an app's IDE, code around a few glitches, and tolerate freemium advertising. Hey—it's Android.
_Android 11_— Just Say No
	Learn about Android's latest agenda-laden release, which narrows USB access, slows shared storage to a crawl, and slashes utility. Because we're not to be trusted with our own phones.
_Android Deltas Sync_— Just Say Yes
	Use Python to sync folders between your PC and phone by USB, despite Android 11's removal of POSIX USB access and Samsung's removal of microSD cards. Bust your content out of Big-Tech prison today!
_PC-Phone USB Sync_— The Last Word
	Sync folders between PCs and phones by USB, with a Python-coded standalone app that negates Android lockdowns, sports a seamless UI, and runs everywhere. Despite Google's best efforts. Tap Note [here](trnpix/%5Fthumbspage-dynamic/2023 Sync App.jpg.html).

The latest buzz:Python,programs,books,etc.

Python

3.X got f-strings, :=, type hints, match, and async—but no fix for this
Python 3.10'sswitch; because we couldn't do without one for 30 years?
Python 3.9 convolutes the language and breaks your code; surprise!
Python Tkinter GUIs finally come to Android—advertising included
python.org ends support for the still-widely-used Python 2.X, rudely
Python 3.8 is briefly reviewed on Python Changes
Python 3.7 broke generators too: read the posthumous coverage
Expanded 3.6 topics—number underscores, f-string interpolation
New Unicode article: mistaking CP-1252 for Latin-1 kills (quotes)
Python 3.7 earns honorable mention on Python Changes
Python 3.5's bytes string formatting gets a more thorough drubbing
Updated 3.5 foibles: typedeclarationsand core-languagecoroutines
Popular searches: 3.X strings, Windows launcher, fun with decorators

Programs

thumbspage 3.0 adds touchpad swipes, HTML tags in notes, and more
Frigcal and PyEditboth get facelifts and finally do emojis (sort of)
The new _PC-Phone USB Sync_app caps a five-year Android odyssey
New in Android Deltas Sync: backsyncs and exports for the patient
Why Mergeall uses modtimes instead of checksums to grok changes
Android Deltas Sync—phones,fun, and fighting Big-Techevil
thumbspage grows image noteslike this; test-drive here,here,here
Just in time for the hõlidäys?—_Mergeall_gets Unicode normalization
thumbspage's latest cut adds swipe gestures and config arguments
ziptools gets faster uncompressed [zips](ziptools/ziptools/%5FREADME.html#Version 1.3: Oct-28-2021), and Mergeall does deltasets
thumbspage 2.1 boosts thumbnail qualityand debuts dynamic layout
The curiously convoluted case of exFAT and FAT32 on Linux
Linux file associations and app launcher: a how-tofor PyEdit et al.
thumbspage 2.0 sprouts slide shows, full screen, and floating Top
All apps: how to fix blurry Tkinter GUIs on Windows 10 (and 11)
The latest ziptools adds permissions, UTC timestamps, andzip@
Use Mergeall to sync your content with a USB drive on Android: how-to
This site now displays code files nicely withthis script
This site has finally grown search, using this script

Books

Shocker?—LP6E is now in production and coming soon
The publisher page ends its mission with apreface
Note to the reader: Python isn't easy; it's justeasier
Books are back—O'Reilly restarts direct book sales, and Amazon turns red
⎋The show goes on: O'Reilly ends its conferences, and sells access toyou
The latest publisher follies(and one reason my books aren't being updated)
A new Chinese translation of Learning Python 5E is out:cover, page,etc
Collateral damage?—pages like this andthislost to publisher morph
O'Reilly stops selling booksat its site to push online/video subscriptions
⎋Shockingly, a few hours of video aren't enough to master anything

Etcetera

Google Play badly needs a paradigm shift: tap "Why Free?" here
GUI apps on Windows WSL2 Linux: marginal but hopeful
Android 11+ casualty: Pydroid 3 loses shared storage (and scope)
Android 13 locks down app-specific storage;poorly
Mail drops do in lutz@rmi.net after 26 years
The Windows-Chrome scrollbar blues
Closing thoughts from a four-year flirtation with Android
Android 12's "phantom" process killer also kills Termux and Python
Now with narration: tap Note or up-swipe in the training gallery
The Z Fold3 content island—and its deltas-scripts work-around
How Android 11 broke my Python programs (so far)
Android 10 11 may be as locked down and limited as iOS
⎋Dark themes: Fortnite vs Apple greed, Samsung axes itscloud
Why does Mac OS hate independent developers so?
Anonymity powered: this website's new privacy policy
A desktop developer in the mobile corral
Edge considered harmful: overlaid lower-left links
learning-python.com: behind the scenes
In defense of critical thinking in open-source software
Gmail users: Be afraid. Be very afraid...