FLOSS Project Planets

Back in March I started to look at sponsors for the time I’m spending working on the Drupal core issue queue. It’s been a few months and I wanted to go back on all the sponsored commits I made as a Frontend Framework Manager, to show how the sponsorships helped Drupal for the past few months.

The sponsorship offer is simple: you send me a fixed monthly fee of 2500€, and I share the issue credit of every Drupal core commit that I make. I’m very thankful to Palantir.net and OPTASY who are sponsoring me. Thanks to them I was able to increase the amount of commits I can make to Drupal core. In the last 3 months I committed 61 issues (worth 610 weighted issue credits) and the more sponsors I have, the more time I can spend reviewing and committing issues.

1. Differentiate visually dragging with and without hierarchy A nice improvement for editors working a lot with lists and trees
2. Sticky table header is not sticky if --drupal-displace-offset-top is not defined
3. [jQuery 4] ajax.js and jquery.form.js use deprecated function $.parseJSON() Preparing for the next release of jQuery 4 with some cleanup.
4. cspell check is broken in commit-code-check.sh Sometimes we break the CI and it needs to be fixed 🤷
5. CKEditor admin toolbar config buttons using ::before to add content: have invalid screen reader text It takes dedication to land those accessibility fixes, kudos to our accessibility contributors.
6. Linking in CKEditor 5: URLs with top-level domain but without protocol should get a protocol added automatically
7. #states disable property has stopped working for submit button and other elements Sometimes when we clean-up code, we clean too much and break some other parts of the code
8. Setting width for sticky-header is broken
9. Negotiate max width/height of oEmbed assets more intelligently
10. States API doesn't work with multiple select fields This was a a 13 years old issue! It _always_ feels good to close an issue that old.
11. Add deprecation/bc support for library-overrides when files are moved Making sure backwards compatibility is working and useful
12. Remove default event from collpased nav-tabs button
13. [DrupalHtmlEngine] HTML-reserved characters (>, <, &) in <script> and <style> tag are converted to HTML entities It happens that we fix things for uses cases that stretch the reasonable (like having whole script tags in a WYSIWYG field)
14. Olivero: Show content preview checkbox is not center aligned with the layout builder buttons. Even a minor issue of a misaligned text by a few pixels is worth fixing
15. Drupal.theme.progressBar() does not escape output correctly
16. filter_autop should ignore twig.config debug html comments Making sure Developer experience doesn't impact regular users
17. tablePositionSticky should not be called on a non-array variable
18. CKEditor 5 table cell vertical align "middle" doesn't work
19. Move system/base component CSS to respective libraries where they exist A surprising performance improvement. There are still some low hanging fruits to improve the default frontend performance of Drupal
20. Remove country setting from the installer When you don't need a piece of data, just don't collect it
21. Media Library widget display doesn't return to first page on applying filters
22. Deprecate and remove the AJAX replace method That was a leftover D7 era deprecation
23. Claro should use libraries-extend for views_ui.css Even in core it happens that we don't use the right way to do something
24. Removal :tabbable usage in dialog.js Some more jQuery 4 preparation
25. Close icon is ovrlapping the title text in modal in claro Yes, typos can make it in the commit log
26. Convert Olivero's teaser into a single directory component Slowly but surely we're adding Single directory components to Drupal core
27. Refactor (if feasible) uses of the jQuery animate function to use Vanilla/native More CSS awesomeness making JavaScript code disapear
28. [11.x] Update to jQuery 4.0.x beta Drupal staying on the bleading edge of frontend developement :)
29. Refactor some uses of the jQuery parents function to use vanillaJS Did a small post earlier about this, CSS is really very good
30. [regression] Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'style') (toolbar.js)
31. JSDoc for ajax command "changed" is incorrect There was a bunch of documentation fixes around this time
32. menu_heading_id variable is not set in menu-region--footer.html.twig
33. Add @file documentation to navigation.html.twig layout template
34. Add @file documentation to menu-region--footer.html.twig template
35. Views UI action buttons create janky layout shift on page load Polishing the loading of pages with heavy JS usage is important to show we care about UX
36. Remove bottom radius on hover state of expanded sub menu item
37. Setting empty URL when making embedded media a link in CKEditor5 causes JS errors
38. Update color of submenu title text
39. Collapsed nav-tabs status not exposed to screen reader There is a good number of accessibility fixes after this one, always nice to commit
40. Incorrect padding on child menu items
41. Claro: Form labels that are disabled have too low color contrast
42. Claro should not hardcode decimal list style type for <ol>
43. Some of string comparisons should use String.prototype.startsWith() or String.prototype.endsWith() Removing regular expressions as much as we can is a noble goal
44. Location of "Skip to Main" link below admin toolbar in Claro is problematic for screen magnifier users
45. Focus states on mobile second level navigation items can get cut off in Olivero
46. Regression: Shortcuts menu flickers when the page is loaded Those toolbar flickering issues are tricky. Thankfully the new navigation module code is simpler than the existing Toolbar code, so it's much much easier to deal with
47. escapeAdmin.js functionality should be removed(it not used anymore) Removed the feature that removed the overlay… for now, escapeAdmin will be back one way or another)
48. Navigation module offsets the Olivero skip link element
49. Umami page.tpl.php breaks block placeholders Sometime themes can break really nice Drupal features (like bigpipe)
50. Claro CSS for dropbutton items adds large gap of white space
51. Replace dialogContentResize jQuery event with CustomEvent Those events issues are really exciting, we're moving away slowly from jQuery for event management
52. Umami views should use responsive grid Another case of core not using the awesome features we provide, not anymore :)
53. Claro highlighted row not communicated to keyboard users
54. Fix overflow visibility for wrapper content in navigation CSS
55. Claro details component does not have the right class
56. Make drupal.tableheader only use CSS for sticky table headers I will always welcome CSS-removing-JS patches
57. Mismatch between implementation and description for Drupal.Message.prototype.remove().
58. "Skip to main content" link skips over content that is essential to the page, banner role should be for global content
59. Add pdureau as a co-maintainer for the Theme API with a focus on SDC Adding new maintainers is too rare. In this case the community is better for having him around
60. Choose an icon for the Announcements link
61. Remove deprecated moved_files entries in core

Many of these issues are maintenance focused, it’s not shiny, it’s not exciting, and it needs to be done. Sponsoring big initiatives like Starshot is exciting, let’s not forget the unexciting day to day that keeps things running. If you’re interested in supporting my work on Drupal core and keep the frontend fixes coming, consider sponsoring me.

PyCharm 2024.1.2 is here with features designed to enhance your productivity and streamline your development workflow. This update includes support for DRF viewsets and routers in the Endpoints tool window, code assistance for TypedDict and Unpack, and improved debugger performance when handling large collections.

You can download the latest version from our download page or update your current version through our free Toolbox App. 

For more details, please visit our What’s New page.

Download PyCharm 2024.1.2

Key features Support for DRF viewsets and routers in the Endpoints tool window

When working with the Django REST Framework in PyCharm, not only can you specify function-based or class-based views in the path, but you can now also specify viewsets and see the results in the Endpoints tool window. Additionally, you can map HTTP methods to viewset methods, and PyCharm will display the HTTP methods next to the relevant route, including for custom methods. Routes without @actions decorators are now displayed with the related viewset methods.

Learn more Code assistance for TypedDict and Unpack

PEP 692 made it possible to add type information for keyword arguments of different types by using TypedDict and Unpack. PyCharm allows you to use this feature confidently by providing parameter info, type checking, and code completion.

Improved debugger performance for large collections

PyCharm’s debugger now offers a smoother experience, even when very large collections are involved. You can now work on your data science projects without having to put up with high CPU loads and UI freezes.

Download PyCharm 2024.1.2

Be sure to check out our release notes to learn all of the details and ensure you don’t miss out on any new features.

We appreciate your support as we work to improve your PyCharm experience. Please report any bugs via our issue tracker so we can resolve them promptly. Connect with us on X (formerly Twitter) to share your feedback on PyCharm 2024.1.2!

Today, we will take a step back from reviewing the Migrate API. Instead, we will have an overview of content and configuration entities in Drupal 10. This is important for two reasons. Read more mauricio Wed, 05/29/2024 - 07:40

This episode focuses on the Harlequin application, a Python SQL IDE for your terminal written using the amazing Textual package.

I was honored to have Ted Conbeer, the creator of Harlequin, on the show to discuss his creation and the other things he does with Python.

Specifically, we focused on the following topics:

• Favorite Python packages

• Origins of Harlequin

• Why program for the terminal versus a GUI

• Lessons learned in creating the tool

• Asyncio

• and more!

Links

• Harlequin

• Textual

• BBC article on asyncio

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new initiative led by Programs Manager, Joi Garrett. This program is designed to support the success of Drupal Local Associations by engaging directly with community leaders who work to promote the Drupal project in their global regions.

Connecting Communities

The heart of the Local Associations Initiative lies in fostering meaningful connections. We recognize the efforts of local leaders and the unique challenges they face. By hosting a series of virtual meetings, we aim to create a platform for leaders to share their experiences, successes and challenges. These sessions will not only provide valuable insight to the state of various local associations but help to strengthen our global community. 

Identifying and Addressing Common Needs

Understanding the diverse needs of our local associations is crucial. Through open dialogue in our virtual meetings, we will identify common needs and prioritize them. We hope by facilitating a collaborative environment the Drupal Association can support efforts for the most pressing issues faced by community leaders. The Drupal Association is committed to finding solutions that drive success. 

Join Us on This Journey

We invite local association leaders to participate in this initiative and attend the virtual meetings. Your insights and contributions are invaluable as we work together to strengthen our global Drupal Community. Stay tuned for announcements about the upcoming virtual meetings. Through this initiative, we aim to foster a collaborative environment where our global community feels more connected and supported. Once we have concluded the meetings, we will discuss the findings and future plans during DrupalCon Barcelona 2024. 

We have been collecting contact information of Local Association leaders for the past few months, if you would like to be included please fill out the following form.

Thank you to our local leaders for being an integral part of our community. We look forward to collaborating with you to make this initiative a success!

Continent Expected Start Europe April (working with Network of European Drupal Associations)  Asia June Australia July North America July South America August Africa August

CRUD operations are at the heart of nearly every application you interact with. As a developer, you usually want to create data, read or retrieve data, update data, and delete data. Whether you access a database or interact with a REST API, only when all four operations are present are you able to make a complete data roundtrip in your app.

Creating, reading, updating, and deleting are so vital in software development that these methods are widely referred to as CRUD. Understanding CRUD will give you an actionable blueprint when you build applications and help you understand how the applications you use work behind the scenes. So, what exactly does CRUD mean?

Get Your Code: Click here to download the free sample code that you’ll use to learn about CRUD operations in Python.

Take the Quiz: Test your knowledge with our interactive “What Are CRUD Operations?” quiz. You’ll receive a score upon completion to help you track your learning progress:

Interactive Quiz

What Are CRUD Operations?

In this quiz, you'll revisit the key concepts and techniques related to CRUD operations. These operations are fundamental to any system that interacts with a database, and understanding them is crucial for effective data management.

In Short: CRUD Stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete

CRUD operations are the cornerstone of application functionality, touching every aspect of how apps store, retrieve, and manage data. Here’s a brief overview of the four CRUD operations:

• Create: This is about adding new entries to your database. But it’s also applicable to other types of persistent storage, such as files or networked services. When you perform a create operation, you’re initiating a journey for a new piece of data within your system.
• Read: Through reading, you retrieve or view existing database entries. This operation is as basic as checking your email or reloading a website. Every piece of information you get has been received from a database, thanks to the read operation.
• Update: Updating allows you to modify the details of data already in the database. For example, when you update a profile picture or edit a chat message. Each time, there’s an update operation at work, ensuring your new data is stored in the database.
• Delete: Deleting removes existing entries from the database. Whether you’re closing an account or removing a post, delete operations ensure that unwanted or unnecessary data can be properly discarded.

CRUD operations describe the steps that data takes from creation to deletion, regardless of what programming language you use. Every time you interact with an application, you’re likely engaging in one of the four CRUD operations.

Why Are CRUD Operations Essential?

Whether you’re working on a basic task list app or a complex e-commerce platform, CRUD operations offer a universal language for designing and manipulating data models. Knowing about CRUD as a user helps you understand what’s happening behind the curtains. As a developer, understanding CRUD provides you with a structured framework for storing data in your application with persistence:

In computer science, persistence refers to the characteristic of state of a system that outlives (persists more than) the process that created it. This is achieved in practice by storing the state as data in computer data storage. (Source)

So even when a program crashes or a user disconnects, the data is safe and can be retrieved later. This also means that the order of the operations is important. You can only read, update, or delete items that were previously created.

It’s good practice to implement each CRUD operation separately in your applications. For example, when you retrieve items, then you shouldn’t update them at the same time.

Note: An exception to this rule may be when you update a “last time retrieved” value after a read operation. Although the user performs a read CRUD operation to retrieve data, you may want to trigger an update operation in the back end to keep track of a user’s retrievals. This can be handy if you want to show the last visited posts to the user.

While CRUD describes a concept that’s independent of specific programming languages, one could argue that CRUD operations are strongly connected to SQL commands and HTTP methods.

What Are CRUD Operations in SQL?

The idea of CRUD is strongly connected with databases. That’s why it’s no surprise that CRUD operations correspond almost one-to-one with SQL commands:

CRUD Operation SQL Command Create INSERT Read SELECT Update UPDATE Delete DELETE

When you create data, you’re using the INSERT command to add new records to a table. After creation, you may read data using SELECT. With a SELECT query, you’re asking the database to retrieve the specific pieces of information you need, whether it’s a single value, a set of records, or complex relationships between data points.

The update operation corresponds to the UPDATE command in SQL, which allows you to modify data. It lets you edit or change an existing item.

Lastly, the delete operation relates to the DELETE command. This is the digital equivalent of shredding a confidential document. With DELETE, you permanently remove an item from the database.

Writing CRUD Operations in Raw SQL

CRUD operations describe actions. That’s why it’s a good idea to pull up your sleeves and write some code to explore how CRUD operations translate into raw SQL commands.

In the examples below, you’ll use Python’s built-in sqlite3 package. SQLite is a convenient SQL library to try things out, as you’ll work with a single SQLite database file.

You’ll name the database birds.db. As the name suggests, you’ll use the database to store the names of birds you like. To keep the example small, you’ll only keep track of the bird names and give them an ID as a unique identifier.

Read the full article at https://realpython.com/crud-operations/ »

[ Improve Your Python With 🐍 Python Tricks 💌 – Get a short & sweet Python Trick delivered to your inbox every couple of days. >> Click here to learn more and see examples ]

When I first got into web development after graduating from university, I got excited about how easy it was to build a website. A bit of knowledge goes a long way. I learned HTML, CSS, Ruby on Rails, and PHP, and tried all kinds of platforms and content management systems. Sometimes it felt hard and sometimes easy. But it was those “aha” moments when I could prototype a site in an afternoon that really got me excited. Which is why I think Drupal Starshot is such a promising initiative.

The goal of Starshot is to create an out-of-the-box version of Drupal that fast-tracks people through building and launching a website. It’ll attract new users, on-board them quickly, and give them an instant feeling of empowerment.

Starshot will show new users that, yes, you can build enterprise websites with Drupal — but you can also use it to launch a campaign, create an event website, or evolve a digital presence for your startup business. 

The Initiative was announced at DrupalCon Portland 2024. Already, more than 386 individuals have pledged support, and dozens of companies have expressed interest too. Starshot is shaping up to be one of the most exciting large-scale initiatives in Drupal’s 23 year history.

“Without a doubt, Starshot will be the largest change to Drupal since the foundational rewrite to modern object-oriented PHP that occurred with Drupal 8.” 

– Mike Herschel, Senior Front-End Developer at Agileana, former elected member of the Drupal Association Board of Directors

Is Starshot a Rewrite of Drupal?

No, Starshot isn’t a rewrite. It is built on Drupal core and include many features from recent Drupal initiatives, including:

• Recipes, packaged features that give you content types and content listings
• Project Browser, for adding more functionality
• Experience Builder, the improved version of Layout Builder for drag-and-drop page building 
• Automatic Updates

Drupal Starshot will be available alongside traditional Drupal Core on the Drupal.org download page later this year. Selecting Starshot will install the necessary features for various website use cases, simplifying the process for new users. Traditional Drupal Core will continue to be available for more custom sites. 

Watch the Driesnote from DrupalCon Portland 2024 where Starshot was revealed:

How Will Starshot Enhance the Open Web?

Starshot will increase Drupal usage and bring the power of open source to even more people by lowering the barrier to entry. It’s a great opportunity to package a version of Drupal that’s more attractive, user-friendly, and engaging for newcomers. This initiative will bring long-overdue improvements to usability, while maintaining Drupal’s strengths: content architecture, security, and multilingual support.

A key component of Starshot's development is its focus on the "Builder" persona—users who aspire to create amazing websites with Drupal but may not have extensive web development experience. By leveraging user research with Builders, Starshot will tailor its features and the editing interface around their needs. This means that folks with limited technical expertise can harness the power of Drupal to bring their creative ideas to life.

Starshot can pre-package Drupal with default configurations and pre-configured modules, leveraging the flexible Recipes initiative, and using the new Experience Builder to enhance page creation. Starshot should significantly reduce development and maintenance costs for simpler web builds. Plus, it will set good UX standards for Drupal websites across the board.

“Let’s reach for the stars and bring the open web to all.”

– Dries Buytaert, Creator and Project Lead of Drupal

How Can I Contribute?

The first releases of Starshot should be available before the end of 2024. The initiative needs lots of support to make this a reality!

Make your pledge on the Starshot landing page or reach out to us with the details of your expertise and availability. We’ll be happy to connect you with a meaningful way to contribute.

Want to help with marketing efforts related to Startshot? Go to the Drupal Marketing page or reach out to me directly.

Take Your Drupal Skills to New Heights

I’ve trained countless people in Drupal and web development over the years — always with the aim of empowering them and inspiring the same passion I have for building websites. If you’re looking to enhance your knowledge and gain valuable tools, you’ve come to the right place. My team and I offer course packages and custom training for site builders, content editors, UX/UI designers, front-end and back-end developers, and entire teams.

Learn more about Drupal training with Evolving Web.  

+ more awesome articles by Evolving Web

The person with the most trouble with duplicate material is the content writer. The hardest task is having to start over and make the necessary corrections after spending hours writing something and discovering that your content is plagiarized. 

This not only gives you a lot of work to do, but it may also interfere with the SEO of your website. Further, we’ll discuss the main problems brought on by duplicate content and discuss how the Drupal SEO module might assist in resolving this issue. 

Do you want to look inside your Django request? How about all of your requests in development and see where they overlap? If that sounds useful, you should check out Kolo. It's a pretty incredible extension for your editor (VS Code at the moment, more editors to come most likely). We have Wilhelm Klopp on to tell us all about it.<br/> <br/> <strong>Episode sponsors</strong><br/> <br/> <a href='https://talkpython.fm/sentry'>Sentry Error Monitoring, Code TALKPYTHON</a><br> <a href='https://talkpython.fm/training'>Talk Python Courses</a><br/> <br/> <strong>Links from the show</strong><br/> <br/> <div><b>Wil on Twitter</b>: <a href="https://twitter.com/wilhelmklopp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@wilhelmklopp</a><br/> <b>Kolo</b>: <a href="https://kolo.app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kolo.app</a><br/> <b>Kolo's info repo</b>: <a href="https://github.com/kolofordjango/kolo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">github.com</a><br/> <b>Kolo Playground</b>: <a href="https://play.kolo.app/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">play.kolo.app</a><br/> <b>Generating tests with Kolo</b>: <a href="https://blog.kolo.app/tests-no-joy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kolo.app</a><br/> <b>Watch this episode on YouTube</b>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV6IfmrDY44" target="_blank" rel="noopener">youtube.com</a><br/> <b>Episode transcripts</b>: <a href="https://talkpython.fm/episodes/transcript/464/seeing-code-flows-and-generating-tests-with-kolo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talkpython.fm</a><br/> <br/> <b>--- Stay in touch with us ---</b><br/> <b>Subscribe to us on YouTube</b>: <a href="https://talkpython.fm/youtube" target="_blank" rel="noopener">youtube.com</a><br/> <b>Follow Talk Python on Mastodon</b>: <a href="https://fosstodon.org/web/@talkpython" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><i class="fa-brands fa-mastodon"></i>talkpython</a><br/> <b>Follow Michael on Mastodon</b>: <a href="https://fosstodon.org/web/@mkennedy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><i class="fa-brands fa-mastodon"></i>mkennedy</a><br/></div>

A few weeks ago at DrupalCon Portland, I announced Drupal Starshot, a project to create the new default download of Drupal. Built on Drupal Core, Drupal Starshot will include popular features from the contributed project ecosystem. It focuses on delivering a great user experience right out of the box. Drupal Starshot builds on recent initiatives like Recipes, Project Browser, and Automatic Updates to elevate Drupal to new heights.

The response has been incredible! Hundreds of people have pledged their support on the Drupal Starshot page, and many more have asked how to get involved. Over the past few weeks, we have been planning and preparing, so I'm excited to share some next steps!

We're launching a series of sessions to get everyone up to speed and involved. These will be held as interactive Zoom calls, and the recordings will be shared publicly for everyone to watch at their convenience.

The main goal of these Zoom sessions is to help you get involved in each area. We'll cover details not included in my keynote, update you on our progress, and give you practical advice on where and how you can contribute.

We've scheduled six sessions, and we invite everyone to attend. The first one will be on this Friday on participation, funding, and governance! You can find the latest schedule online at https://www.drupal.org/starshot#sessions and the core calendar in the sidebar of the Drupal core news page.

We look forward to seeing you there and working together to make Drupal Starshot a success!
 

A few weeks ago at DrupalCon Portland, I announced Drupal Starshot, a project to create the new default download of Drupal. Built on Drupal Core, Drupal Starshot will include popular features from the contributed project ecosystem. It focuses on delivering a great user experience right out of the box. Drupal Starshot builds on recent initiatives like Recipes, Project Browser, and Automatic Updates to elevate Drupal to new heights.

The response has been incredible! Hundreds of people have pledged their support on the Drupal Starshot page, and many more have asked how to get involved. Over the past few weeks, we have been planning and preparing, so I'm excited to share some next steps!

We're launching a series of sessions to get everyone up to speed and involved. These will be held as interactive Zoom calls, and the recordings will be shared publicly for everyone to watch at their convenience.

The main goal of these Zoom sessions is to help you get involved in each area. We'll cover details not included in my keynote, update you on our progress, and give you practical advice on where and how you can contribute.

We've scheduled six sessions, and we invite everyone to attend. The first one will be on this Friday on participation, funding, and governance! You can find the latest schedule online at https://www.drupal.org/starshot#sessions and the core calendar in the sidebar of the Drupal core news page.

We look forward to seeing you there and working together to make Drupal Starshot a success!
 

Recently, we built a queue worker to send emails asynchronously, meeting a client's unique requirements to ensure email delivery. There is a lot of movement in the Drupal contribution space to innovate on the mailer. Traditionally, Drupal uses a plain PHP mailer to deliver transactional emails such as sign-up confirmation or password reset instructions. Nowadays, many websites rely on the contribution module Drupal Symfony Mailer to use the framework mailer by Symfony and leverage the flexible setup of mailer policies, transport, and HTML theming with templates. What needs to be added to the mix are easy-to-implement ways to send emails asynchronously. Today, we announce the first stable release of the new contribution module Symfony Mailer Queue.

Inspired by the successes of the "Blauer Engel Für FOSS" (BE4FOSS) project and KDE's ongoing Sustainable Software goal, KDE Eco has begun a new initiative: "Opt Green: Sustainable Software For Sustainable Hardware" (German: Nachhaltige Software Für Nachhaltige Hardware, or NS4NH).

Opt Green: Sustainable Software For Sustainable Hardware

By design, Free Software guarantees transparency and user autonomy. This gives you, the user, control of your hardware by removing unnecessary vendor dependencies. With Free Software, you're able to use your devices how you want, for as long as you want. There's no bloatware and you can block unwanted data use and ads from driving up energy demands and slowing down your device—while shutting the door to uninvited snooping in your private life as well. With software made for your needs and not the vendors', you can choose applications designed for the hardware you already own. Say goodbye to premature hardware obsolescence: lean, efficient Free Software runs on devices which are decades old!

Independent and sustainable Free Software is good for the users, and good for the environment.

Figure : The "Think Global, Act Local" campaign urged people to consider global health while taking action in their local communities. This new project urges people to do the same, but with computing. (Image from Karanjot Singh published under a CC-BY-4.0 license.)

Over the next two years, the "Opt Green" initiative will bring what KDE Eco has been doing for sustainable software directly to end users. A particular target group for the project is those whose consumer behavior is driven by principles related to the environment, and not just price or convenience: the "eco-consumers".

Through online and offline campaigns as well as installation workshops, we will demonstrate the power of Free Software to drive down resource and energy consumption, and keep devices in use for the lifespan of the hardware, not the software.

Our motto: The most environmentally-friendly device is the one you already own.

The topic of software-driven sustainability is relevant for all Free Software applications and developers. We'd love to have you join us and become partners in combatting the issue of software-driven environmental harm. Check out the project's Invent repository or the contact page to get involved today!

Software's Environmental Harm

On 14 October 2025, the end of support for Windows 10 is estimated to make e-waste out of 240 million computers ineligible for the upgrade to Windows 11. Moreover, macOS support for Intel-based Apple computers—the last of which were sold in 2020—is predicted to end (at the earliest) one year later in 2026, rendering even more millions upon millions of functioning devices obsolete. When users have no control over the software they rely on, they are left at a security risk when software support ends ... unless, of course, they purchase a new computer. (By comparison, consider that only in 2022 did Linus Torvalds first suggest ending Linux kernel support for Intel 486 processors from 1989. That's 33 years of support!)

Vendors frequently require buying a new device to support software updates. All too often, this is driven by economic imperatives rather than technological requirements. Moreover, while new hardware has become more and more powerful, new software offering similar or identical functionality has frequently become less efficient and more energy-intensive, which has rendered older, less powerful devices useless.

Already in 2015 Achim Steiner, former Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), warned of the "tsunami of electronic waste rolling out over the world".

In 2016, 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste were generated, estimated to be equivalent to 4500 Eiffel Towers. If you were to stack those Eiffel Towers on top of each other, the result would be 17 times higher than Mount Everest.

By 2017, United Nations University determined e-waste to be the fastest growing waste stream in the world.

In 2022, the amount of e-waste reached 59.4 million tonnes, a 33% increase since 2016.

The flow of e-waste continues to rise today.

Figure : In 2016, 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste was generated. This is estimated to be equivalent to 4,500 Eiffel Towers, which, when stacked, is 17 times higher than Mount Everest. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Anita Sengupta.)

Software is a frequently unacknowledged yet significant factor for sustainability. Software determines a hardware's energy consumption and minimum system requirements. It determines how long a device can remain safely in use. With software running on everyday devices, from coffee machines to smartphones, from trains to drones, the role of software in keeping functioning hardware in use and out of the landfill grows more critical every day.

For consumers, the environmental harm may be out-of-sight and out-of-mind. Yet the environment is registering its effects, from the CO2 pumped into the atmosphere to the landfills that receive our discarded devices at their end of life, and the air, soil, and waters around them—not to mention the people and animals.

Figure : A young man is pictured burning electrical wires to recover copper at Agbogbloshie, Ghana, as another metal scrap worker arrives with more wires to be burned. A 2018 article in the "International Journal of Cancer" reports a correlation between proximity to e-waste burn sites and childhood lymphoma. (Image by Muntaka Chasant, published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.)

It is particularly devastating when you consider the environmental and social harm caused by e-waste, especially when e-waste is generated earlier than necessary because of premature obsolescence. The production and transportation of a device accounts for 50–80+% of its carbon footprint over its lifecycle. A German Environment Report estimates you’d need to use a computer for over 30 years before efficiency gains in newly-produced devices justify their purchase.

Furthermore, the extraction of rare earth metals in production consumes copious amounts of energy and takes place under miserable social conditions, often in the Global South. For disposal, devices are typically returned to the Global South for end-of-life treatment, where they pollute the environment as toxic waste and cause enormous damage to workers' health or even death.

Figure : Apple's carbon footprint. From Apple (2019), "Environmental Responsibility Report: 2019 Progress Report, covering fiscal year 2018". (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-SA-4.0 license. Design by Anita Sengupta.) Giving Consumers What They Want

Globally, interest in environmental harm and sustainable goods has been rising steadily from 2015 to 2021. In Europe, a 2020 Eurobarometer poll found that 50% of consumers indicate that two reasons they purchase new devices are performance issues and non-functioning software, and 8 in 10 consumers believe manufacturers should be required to make it easier to repair digital devices.

Free Software already gives consumers what they want, but most don't know it yet. Transparency in code makes lightweight, highly performative software possible, even on much older devices, while user autonomy ensures the right to repair when applications stop functioning.

Figure : KDE’s popular multi-platform PDF reader and universal document viewer Okular was awarded the Blue Angel ecolabel in 2022. (Image from KDE published under a CC-BY-4.0 license.)

In fact, the Blue Angel criteria for desktop software are at the forefront in recognizing the critical role of transparency and user autonomy in sustainable software design. From 2021-2023, the KDE Eco project "Blauer Engel Für FOSS" (BE4FOSS) had the goal of collecting and spreading information about the Blue Angel ecolabel among developer communities. In 2022, KDE’s popular PDF and universal document reader Okular became the first ever Blue Angel eco-certified software! The BE4FOSS project culminated with the KDE Eco handbook "Applying The Blue Angel Criteria To Free Software", which you can read here. KDE's Sustainable Software goal has continued this work by developing emulation tools like KdeEcoTest and Selenium AT-SPI to measure software's energy consumption in KDE's KEcoLab.

Now we want to take what we have achieved and bring it directly to eco-consumers.

Through educational campaigns and workshops, the "Opt Green" project aims to combat e-waste by keeping hardware in use with Free Software. Although the problem of software-driven e-waste is relevant for an increasing number of digital devices, the focus will be on desktop PCs, laptops, and, when possible, smartphones and tablets. We are planning to set up info-stands at fair-trade, organic, and artisanal markets as well as sustainability festivals such as the Umweltfestival in Berlin. We will distribute leaflets to consumers, and demo vendor-abandoned devices which are not only usable, but also a joy to use thanks to the tireless work of inspiring Free Software communities. Installation workshops will give users the know-how to keep their devices in use for as long as they want.

Consumers don’t need a new computer to get secure, cutting-edge software; they just need the right software. Free Software already gives consumers what they want today, and we will be working hard to make sure they know that.

Ready To Join Us?

Consumers want sustainable and repairable digital devices. We believe that providing users the software to keep devices in use and out of the landfill will drive demand for Free Software products and enable long-term hardware use.

Do you want to join us in this movement to combat e-waste with Free Software? See our contact info to get involved.

We need volunteers like you to bring the "Opt Green" campaign to towns and cities around the world. We need volunteers like you to design engaging guides and beautiful materials for global distribution. We need volunteers like you to report on the project in magazines and newspapers. Let's work together to bring sustainable software to your community!

Maybe you are interested in contributing to the development of measurement tools like KdeEcoTest and Selenium AT-SPI or improving KEcoLab automation? Or using such tools to measure your software application's energy consumption? Let's collaborate to make energy transparency a part of Free Software development today!

Or maybe you actively contribute to a Free Software project that will keep hardware in use for longer. Please be in touch! We want to promote the amazing work you do directly with consumers.

Additional ideas are more than welcome. Part of the project will be figuring out what works and engagement by people like you will make this project a success. We would love to have you join us. Learn more: https://eco.kde.org/get-involved/

Funding Notice

The NS4NH project is funded by the Federal Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV1). The funds are made available by resolution of the German Bundestag.

The publisher is responsible for the content of this publication.

Equality checks whether two objects represent the same value. Identity checks whether two variables point to the same object.

Table of contents

1. The equality operator in Python
2. The is operator in Python
3. How equality and identity work differently?
4. Inequality and non-identity operators
5. Where are identity checks used?
6. Equality vs. Identity

The equality operator in Python

Let's say we have two variables that point to two lists:

>>> a = [2, 1, 3] >>> b = [2, 1, 3, 4]

When we use the == operator to check whether these lists are equal, we'll see that they are not equal:

>>> a == b False

These lists don't have the same values right now, so they're not equal.

Let's update the first list so that these two lists do have equivalent values:

>>> a.append(4) >>> a [2, 1, 3, 4]

If we use == again, we'll see that these lists are equal now:

>>> a == b True

Python's == operator checks for equality. Two objects are equal if they represent the same data.

The is operator in Python

Python also has an is …

Read the full article: https://www.pythonmorsels.com/equality-vs-identity/

Fosdem had a great lecture Building an Open Source Community One Friend at a Time [1]. I recommend that everyone who is involved in the FOSS community watches this lecture to get some ideas.

For some time I’ve been periodically inviting a few friends to visit for lunch, chat about Linux, maybe do some coding, and watch some anime between coding. It seems that I have accidentally created a micro users’ group.

LUGs were really big in the mid to late 90s and still quite vibrant in the early 2000’s. But they seem to have decreased in popularity even before Covid19 and since Covid19 a lot of people have stopped attending large meetings to avoid health risks. I think that a large part of the decline of users’ groups has been due to the success of YouTube. Being able to choose from thousands of hours of lectures about computers on YouTube is a disincentive to spending the time and effort needed to attend a meeting with content that’s probably not your first choice of topic. Attending a formal meeting where someone you don’t know has arranged a lecture might not have a topic that’s really interesting to you. Having lunch with a couple of friends and watching a YouTube video that one of your friends assures you is really good is something more people will find interesting.

In recent times homeschooling [2] has become more widely known. The same factors that allow learning about computers at home also make homeschooling easier. The difference between the traditional LUG model of having everyone meet at a fixed time for a lecture and a micro LUG of a small group of people having an informal meeting is similar to the difference between traditional schools and homeschooling.

I encourage everyone to create their own micro LUG. All you have to do is choose a suitable time and place and invite some people who are interested. Have a BBQ in a park if the weather is good, meet at a cafe or restaurant, or invite people to visit you for lunch on a weekend.

• [1] https://tinyurl.com/23e9vd7b
• [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling

Related posts:

1. Creating a Micro Conference The TEDxVolcano The TED conference franchise has been extended to...
2. BLUG This weekend I went to the Ballarat install-fest, mini-conf, and...
3. Recruiting at a LUG Meeting I’m at the main meeting of Linux Users of Victoria...

I traveled back home from PyCon US 2024 last week. This is my reflection on my time at PyCon.

Attempting to eat vegan

Since 2020, I’ve been gradually eating more plant-based and a few months ago I decided to take PyCon as an opportunity to attempt exclusively vegan eating outside my own home. As I noted on Mastodon, it was a challenge and I failed every day at least once but I found the experience worthwhile. Our food system is very dairy-oriented.

Staying hydrated and fed

One of the first things I did before heading to the convention center was walk to Target and buy snacks and drinks. When at PyCon, I prefer to spend 30 minutes and $20 to have a backup plan for last minute hydration and calories (even if not the greatest calories). I never quite know when I might sleep through breakfast, find lunch lacking, or wish I’d eaten more dinner.

A tutorial, an orientation, a lightning talk, and open spaces

My responsibilities at PyCon this year included teaching a tutorial and helping run the Newcomer’s Orientation with Kojo and Sumana.

Yngve and Marie offered to act as teaching assistants during my tutorial and I was very grateful for their help! Rodrigo and Krishna also offered to TA just before my tutorial started and I was extra grateful to have even more help than I’d expected. The attendees were mostly better prepared than I expected they would be, which was also great. It’s always great to spend less time on setup and more time exploring Python together.

The newcomer’s orientation the next day went well. We kept it fairly brief and were able to address about 10 minutes of audience questions before the opening reception started.

Once my PyCon responsibilities completed, I invented a few more (light) responsibilities for myself. 😅 I signed up to give a lightning talk on how to give a lightning talk. They slotted it as the first talk of the first lightning talk session on Friday night. I kept this talk pretty much the same as the one I presented DjangoCon 2016. I could have made the transitions fancier, but I decided to embrace the idea of simplicity with the hope that audience members might think “look if that first speaker can give such a simple and succinct presentation, maybe I can too.”

On Saturday I ran an open space on Python Learning. Some of you showed up because you’re on my mailing list or you’re paying Python Morsels subscribers. Many folks showed up because the topic was interesting, either as a learner or as a teacher. I really enjoyed the round-table-style conversation we had.

I also ran a Cabo Card game open space during lunch on Sunday on the 4th floor rooftop. Cabo is my usual conference ice breaker game and I played it at least a few nights in The Westin lobby as well.

Seeing conference friends, old and new

For me, PyCon is largely about having conversations. The talks and tutorials are great for starting me thinking about an idea. The hallway track, open spaces, and meals are great for continuing conversations about those ideas (or other ideas).

My first morning in Pittsburgh, I chatted with Naomi Ceder and Reuven Lerner. I’m glad I ran into them before the conference kicked off because (as often happens at PyCon) I only very briefly saw either of them during the rest of PyCon!

After my tutorial that afternoon, I did dinner with Marie, Yngve, and Rodrigo at Rosewater Mediterranean (good vegan options, assuming you enjoy falafel and various sauces). As sometimes happens at PyCon, another PyCon attendee, Sachin, joined our table because we noticed him eating on his own at a table near us and invited him to join us.

On Saturday, Melanie, David, Jay, and I had a sort of mini San Diego Python study group reunion dinner before inviting folks to join us for Cabo and Knucklebones one night. The 4 of us originally met each other (along with Carol and other wonderful Python folks) at the San Diego Python study group about 10 years ago.

I had some wonderful conversations about ways to improve the Python documentation over dinner (at Nicky’s Thai) on Sunday night with so many docs-concerned folks who I highly respect. I’m really excited that Python has the documentation editorial board and I’m hopeful that that board, with the help of many others community members, will usher in big improvements to the documentation in the coming years.

I also met a number of Internet acquaintances IRL for the first time at PyCon. I met Tereza and Jessica, who I know from our work in the PSF Code of Conduct workgroup. I met Steve Lott, who I originally knew as a prolific question-answerer. I also met Hugo, a CPython core dev, the Python 3.14 & 3.15 release manager, and a social media user (which is how I’ve primarily interacted with him because the Internet is occasionally lovely). I was also very excited to meet many Python Morsels members as well as folks who know me through my weekly Python tips newsletter.

I was grateful to chat with Hynek and Al about creating talks, YouTube videos, and other online content. I also enjoyed chatting with Glyph a bit about our experiences consulting and training and (in hindsight) wished I’d planned an open space for either consultants or trainers, both of which have been held at PyCon before but it just takes someone to stick it on the open space board.

Many folks I only saw very briefly (I said a quick hi and bye to Andrew over lunch during the sprints) and some I didn’t see at all (Frank was at PyCon but we never ran into each other). Some I essentially saw through playing a few rounds of Cabo (Thomas and Ethan among many others). We also ran into at least 4 other PyCon attendees in the airport on Tuesday afternoon, including Bob and Julian, who it’s always a pleasure to see.

A Mastodon-oriented PyCon

On Thursday night I had the feeling that the number of Mastodon posts I saw on the #PyConUS hashtag was greater than the number of Twitter posts. I (very unscientifically) counted up the number of posts I was seeing on each and found that my perception was correct: Mastodon seemed to slightly overtake Twitter at PyCon this year.

Over dinner on Wednesday, I tried to convince Marie, Yngve, and Rodrigo to get Mastodon accounts just to follow the hashtag during PyCon. I succeeded: Marie and Yngve and Rodrigo!

Mastodon will never be the social media platform. Its decentralized nature is too much of a barrier for many folks. However, it does seem to be used by enough somewhat nerdy Python folks to now be one the most used social media platform for PyCon posting.

The talks

I ended up spending little time in the talks during PyCon. This wasn’t on purpose. I just happened to attend many open spaces, take personal breaks, and end up in hallway conversations often. I did see many of the lightning talks live, as well as Jay, Simon, and Sumana’s keynotes (all of them were exceptional) and the opening and closing remarks. I also watched a few talks from my hotel room while taking breaks.

While I’m often a bit light on my talk load at PyCon, I do recommend folks attend a good handful of live talks during PyCon, as Jon and others recommend. I wish I had seen more talks live. I also wish I had attended a few open spaces that I missed.

At any one time, I know that I’m always missing about 90% of what’s scheduled during PyCon (if you include the talks and the open spaces). That’s assuming I don’t ditch the conference entirely for a few hours and walk across a bridge or ride a funicular (neither of which I did, as I stuck around the venue the whole time this year). I am glad I saw, did, and talked about everything I did, but there’s always something I wish I’d seen/done!

The sprints

Thanks to the documentation dinner, I had a couple documentation-related ideas in mind on the first day of sprints. But I’m also really excited about the new Python REPL coming in Python 3.13 (in case you can’t tell from how much I talk about it), so I sprinted on that instead. Łukasz assigned me the task of researching keyboard shortcuts that the new REPL is missing (compared to the current one on Linux and Mac) so I spent some time researching that. I got to see the REPL running on Anthony’s laptop on Windows and I am so excited that Windows support will be included before 3.13.0 lands! 🎉

Partly inspired by Carol Willing’s PyCon preview message, I also thanked Pablo, Łukasz, and Lysandros in-person for all their work on the new Python REPL. 🤗

Until next year

I’ll be keynoting at PyOhio this year.

Besides PyOhio, I’m not sure whether I’ll make it to another conference until PyCon US next year. I’d love to attend all of them, but I do have work and personal goals that need accomplishing too!

I hope to see you at PyCon US 2025! In the meantime, if you’re wishing we’d exchanged contact details or met in-person, please feel free to stay in touch through Mastodon, LinkedIn, my weekly emails, YouTube, or Twitter.

Authored by Nadiia Nykolaichuk, João Paulo Constantino, Ana Carolina, and Gabriel Passarelli.

#631 – MAY 28, 2024
View in Browser »

Building a Python GUI Application With Tkinter

In this video course, you’ll learn the basics of GUI programming with Tkinter, the de facto Python GUI framework. Master GUI programming concepts such as widgets, geometry managers, and event handlers. Then, put it all together by building two applications: a temperature converter and a text editor.
REAL PYTHON course

pyastgrep and Custom Linting

This article from the developer of pyastgrep introduces you to the tool which can now be used as a library. The post talks about how to use it and what kind of linting it does best.
LUKE PLANT

Upgrade Python Versions Without the Pain

Stop wasting 30% of your team’s sprint on maintaining legacy codebases. Automatically migrate and keep up-to-date on Python versions, so that you can focus on being productive while staying secure, without the risk of breaking changes - Get a code assessment today →
ACTIVESTATE sponsor

What’s New in Django 5.1

Django 5.1 has gone alpha so the list of features targeting this release has more or less solidified. This article introduces you to what is coming in Django 5.1.
JEFF TRIPLETT

Quiz: How to Create Pivot Tables With Pandas

This quiz is designed to push your knowledge of pivot tables a little bit further. You won’t find all the answers by reading the tutorial, so you’ll need to do some investigating on your own. By finding all the answers, you’re sure to learn some other interesting things along the way.
REAL PYTHON

PEP 649 Re-targeted to 3.14

Python Enhancement Proposal 649: Deferred Evaluation Of Annotations Using Descriptors has been re-targeted to the Python 3.14 release
PYTHON.ORG

JupyterLab 4.2 and Notebook 7.2 Released

JUPYTER

Articles & Tutorials Testing With Python: The Different Types of Tests

This is part 5 of a deep dive into writing automated tests, but also works well as an independent article. This post talks about the taxonomy of testing, like the differences between unit and integration tests, and how nobody can quite agree on a definition of either.
BITECODE

Python’s Built-in Exceptions: A Walkthrough With Examples

In this tutorial, you’ll get to know some of the most commonly used built-in exceptions in Python. You’ll learn when these exceptions can appear in your code and how to handle them. Finally, you’ll learn how to raise some of these exceptions in your code.
REAL PYTHON

Software Engineering Hiring and Firing

This article is a deep dive on the hiring and firing practices in the software field, and unlike most articles focuses on senior engineering roles. It isn’t a “first job” post, but a “how the decision process works” article.
ED CREWE

Enabling Async MongoDB Operations in Streamlit

Streamlit is a wonderful tool for building dashboards with its peculiar execution model, but using asyncio data sources with it can be a real pain. This article is about how you correctly use those two technologies together.
HANDMADESOFTWARE • Shared by Thorin Schiffer

EuroPython 2024 Announces Keynote Speakers

EuroPython happens in Prague July 8-14 and as the conference approaches more and more is happening. This posting from their May newsletter highlights the keynotes and other announcements.
EUROPYTHON

Writing Commit Messages

This guide admits to being “yet another”, but unlike most that are out there, spends less time discussing the cosmetic aspects of a good commit message and more time on the content.
SIMON TATHAM

PSF Announces 5-Year Sponsorship Commitment From Fastly

Python Software Foundation securing this sponsorship affects the entire Python ecosystem, most notably the security and reliability of the Python Package Index (PyPI).
SOCKET.DEV • Shared by Sarah Gooding

Untold Stories From 6 Years Working on Python Packaging

Sumana gave the closing keynote address at PyCon US this year and this posting shares all the links and references from the talk.
SUMANA HARIHARESWARA

The Python calendar Module: Create Calendars With Python

Learn to use the Python calendar module to create and customize calendars in plain text, HTML or directly in your terminal.
REAL PYTHON

TIL: Accessibility Resources #2

This post is a collection of accessibility resources mostly for web sites, but some tools can be used elsewhere as well.
SARAH ABDEREMANE

Projects & Code PgQueuer: Python & PostgreSQL Job Queuing Library

GITHUB.COM/JANBJORGE

Tapyr: Shiny for Python Application Template

GITHUB.COM/APPSILON • Shared by Appsilon

Oven: Explore Python Packages

FMING.DEV

tkforge: Drag & Drop in Figma to Create a Python GUI

GITHUB.COM/AXORAX

tach: Enforce a Modular, Decoupled Package Architecture

GITHUB.COM/NEVER-OVER

Events Weekly Real Python Office Hours Q&A (Virtual)

May 29, 2024
REALPYTHON.COM

SPb Python Drinkup

May 30, 2024
MEETUP.COM

Building Python Communities Yaounde

June 1 to June 3, 2024
NOKIDBEHIND.ORG

Django Girls Medellín

June 1 to June 2, 2024
DJANGOGIRLS.ORG

PyDelhi User Group Meetup

June 1, 2024
MEETUP.COM

Melbourne Python Users Group, Australia

June 3, 2024
J.MP

DjangoCon Europe 2024

June 5 to June 10, 2024
DJANGOCON.EU

PyCon Colombia 2024

June 7 to June 10, 2024
PYCON.CO

Happy Pythoning!
This was PyCoder’s Weekly Issue #631.
View in Browser »

[ Subscribe to 🐍 PyCoder’s Weekly 💌 – Get the best Python news, articles, and tutorials delivered to your inbox once a week >> Click here to learn more ]

In Python, a circular import is when two files each try to import the other, causing a failure when a module isn’t fully initialized. The best way to fix this situation is to organize your code in layers so that the importing relationships naturally flow in just one direction. But sometimes it works to simply change the style of import statement you use. I’ll show you.

Let’s say you have these files:

1# one.py
2from two import func_two
3
4def func_one():
5    func_two()
1# two.py
2from one import func_one
3
4def do_work():
5    func_one()
6
7def func_two():
8    print("Hello, world!")
1# main.py
2from two import do_work
3do_work()

If we run main.py, we get this:

% python main.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "main.py", line 2, in <module>
    from two import do_work
  File "two.py", line 2, in <module>
    from one import func_one
  File "one.py", line 2, in <module>
    from two import func_two
ImportError: cannot import name 'func_two' from partially initialized
  module 'two' (most likely due to a circular import) (two.py)

When Python imports a module, it executes the file line by line. Every global in the file (top-level name including functions and classes) becomes an attribute on the module object being constructed. In two.py, we import from one.py at line 2. At that moment, the two module has been created, but it has no attributes yet because nothing has been defined yet. It will eventually have do_work and func_two, but we haven’t executed those def statements yet, so they don’t exist. Like a function call, when the import statement is run, it begins executing the imported file, and doesn’t come back to the current file until the import is done.

The import of one.py starts, and its line 2 tries to get a name from the two module. As we just said, the two module exists, but has no names defined yet. That gives us the error.

Instead of importing names from modules, we can import whole modules instead. All we do is change the form of the imports, and how we reference the functions from the imported modules, like this:

1# one.py
2import two              # was:  from two import func_two
3
4def func_one():
5    two.func_two()      # was:  func_two()
1# two.py
2import one              # was:  from one import func_one
3
4def do_work():
5    one.func_one()      # was:  func_one()
6
7def func_two():
8    print("Hello, world!")
1# main.py
2from two import do_work
3do_work()

Running the fixed code, we get this:

% python main.py
Hello, world!

It works because two.py imports one at line 2, and then one.py imports two at its line 2. That works just fine, because the two module exists. It’s still empty like it was before the fix, but now we aren’t trying to find a name in it during the import. Once all of the imports are done, the one and two modules both have all their names defined, and we can access them from inside our functions.

The key idea here is that “from two import func_two” tries to find func_two during the import, before it exists. Deferring the name lookup to the body of the function by using “import two” lets all of the modules get themselves fully initialized before we try to use them, avoiding the circular import error.

As I mentioned at the top, the best way to fix circular imports is to structure your code so that modules don’t have mutual dependencies like this. But that isn’t always easy, and this can buy you a little time to get your code working again.

We are thrilled to announce that Evolving Web has been honored with the Social Impact Award in the Inaugural Pantheon Partner Awards for our work on the Planned Parenthood Direct website. 

The winners were announced at the Pantheon Partner dinner, held during DrupalCon Portland on May 6, 2024. Congratulations to the other winners who took to the stage with us: 

• Elevated Third – Partner of the Year Award
• WebMD Ignite – Innovation Award
• HoundER – Rookie of the Year Award
• Forum One – Customer First Award
• Danny Pfeiffer – Friends of Pantheon Partners Award

Pantheon’s Partner Awards recognize the outstanding contributions of digital agencies that drive positive change. We’re proud to be acknowledged for our role in the Planned Parenthood Direct project, which supports reproductive rights and enhancing access to reproductive and sexual healthcare. Our work on the project demonstrates our commitment to creating impact through user-centric digital experiences.

A Mission-Driven Collaboration

In the U.S., reproductive and sexual health care services vary from state to state. Planned Parenthood Direct (PPD) aims to provide trusted care from anywhere by offering “on-the-go” services. We collaborated with PPD to build a secure, mobile-first website on that informs users of available services in their state. The site also encourages users to download the PPD app, which they can use to order birth control.

Designing for Impact and Inclusion

Our team undertook the challenge of creating a highly informative, accessible website that appeals to a younger audience.

• We created dedicated pages for each state, ensuring they’re easy for PPD to update and optimized for search engines.
• We created a new visual brand identity that incorporates bold design principles for a youthful, reassuring, and non-stigmatizing user experience.
• Our mobile-first approach ensured that the site meets the needs of an audience who prefer mobile devices.
• We also followed accessibility best practices to ensure a user-friendly experience for all, including users with disabilities. 

Protecting Users with Exceptional Security

Security was a paramount concern, given the political climate surrounding reproductive rights. We ensured a highly secure online experience using a decoupled architecture with Next.js for the front-end and Drupal 10 for the back-end. Hosting on Pantheon added additional layers of security, including HTTPS certificates and DDoS protection.

Setting PPD Up For Success & Growth 

Our work on the Planned Parenthood Direct website included the development of 17 custom components and 14 content types in Layout Builder. This empowers PPD’s content editors to create flexible, engaging, and visually appealing layouts. The results is streamlined content creation and management, allowing PPD to maintain and grow their website effectively.

Outstanding Results & Continued Commitment

The new Planned Parenthood Direct website has been instrumental in continuing PPD’s mission to support human rights and ensure access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

A big thank you to Pantheon for recognizing our efforts, and to Planned Parenthood Direct for trusting us with this important project. We’re honoured to have partnered with you both.

As we celebrate this award, we’re reminded of the importance of our work and the impact it has on communities. We look forward to future opportunities to make a difference.

Partner with us to turn your vision into a powerful digital experience that drives change. 

+ more awesome articles by Evolving Web