Learning Programming in the AI Age

• Setting up a Python monorepo with uv workspaces
• cattrs: Flexible Object Serialization and Validation
• Learning to program in the AI age
• VS Code extension for FastAPI and friends
• Extras
• Joke

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Brian #1: Setting up a Python monorepo with uv workspaces

• Dennis Traub
• The 3 things
  • Give the Root a Distinct Name
  • Use workspace = true for Inter-Package Deps
  • Use importlib Mode for pytest

Michael #2: cattrs: Flexible Object Serialization and Validation

• cattrs is a Swiss Army knife for (un)structuring and validating data in Python.
• A natural alternative/follow on from DataClass Wizard
• Converts to ←→ from dictionaries
• cattrs also focuses on functional composition and not coupling your data model to its serialization and validation rules.
• When you’re handed unstructured data (by your network, file system, database, …), cattrs helps to convert this data into trustworthy structured data.
• Batteries Included: cattrs comes with pre-configured converters for a number of serialization libraries, including JSON (standard library, orjson, UltraJSON), msgpack, cbor2, bson, PyYAML, tomlkit and msgspec (supports only JSON at this time).

Brian #3: Learning to program in the AI age

• Jose Blanca
• “I teach a couple of introductory Python courses and I've been thinking about which advice to give to my students, that are studying how to program for the first time. I have collected my ideas in these blog posts”
  • Why learning to program is as useful as ever, even with powerful AI tools available.
  • How to use AI as a tutor rather than a shortcut, and why practice remains the key to real understanding.
  • What the real learning objectives are: mental models, managing complexity, and thinking like a software developer.

Michael #4: VS Code extension for FastAPI and friends

• Enhances the FastAPI development experience in Visual Studio Code
• Path Operation Explorer: Provides a hierarchical tree view of all FastAPI routes in your application.
• Search for routes: Use the Command Palette and quickly search for routes by path, method, or name.
• CodeLens links appear above HTTP client calls like client.get('/items'), letting you jump directly to the matching route definition.
• Deploy your application directly to FastAPI Cloud from the status bar with zero config.
• View real-time logs from your FastAPI Cloud deployed applications directly within VS Code.
• Install from Marketplace.

Extras

Brian:

• Guido van Rossum interviews key Python developers from the first 25 years
  • Interview with Brett Cannon
  • Interview with Thomas Wouters Michael:
• IntelliJ IDEA: The Documentary | An origin story video
• Cursor Joined the ACP Registry and Is Now Live in Your JetBrains IDE
• What hyper-personal software looks like
• I’m doing in-person training again (limited scope):
  • On-site, hands-on AI engineering enablement for software teams with Michael

Joke: Saas is dead