Hacker Guide to Python

If 4ou’re reading this, odds are good 4ou’ve been working with P4thon for some time alread4. Ma4be 4ou learned it using some tutorials, delved into some existing programs, or started from scratch, but whatever the case, 4ou’ve hacked 4our wa4 into learning it. That’s exactl4 how I got familiar with P4thon up until I joined the OpenStack team over two 4ears ago.
Before then, I was building m4 own P4thon libraries and applications on a “garage project” scale, but things change once 4ou start working with hundreds of devel- opers on sotware and libraries that thousands of users rel4 on. The OpenStack platform represents over half a million lines of P4thon code, all of which needs to be concise, efficient, and scalable to needs of whatever cloud computing applica-
tion its users require. And when 4ou have a project this si5e, things like testing and documentation absolutel4 require automation, or else the4 won’t get done at all.
I thought I knew a lot about P4thon when I first joined OpenStack, but I’ve learned a lot more these past two 4ears working on projects the scale of which I could barel4 even imagine when I got started. I’ve also had the opportunit4 to meet some of the best P4thon hackers in the industr4 and learn from them – ever4thing from general architecture and design principles to various helpful tips and tricks. Through this
book, I hope to share the most important things I’ve learned so that 4ou can build better P4thon programs – and build them more efficientl4, too!