[NCLUG] Python newbie - modules/libraries?

[Duncan McGreggor]

On Nov 15, 2004, at 7:16 PM, Intrinsic Spin wrote:

> You might try http://www.python.org/ or The Vaults of Parnassus at
> http://www.vex.net/parnassus/

Be careful, though... a lot of that stuff is out of date.

> On Mon, Nov 15, 2004 at 11:01:39AM -0700, Rich Young wrote:
>> Hey, all,
>> 	I'm just getting started with python, and I'm having a little
>> trouble finding the python equivalent of CPAN or PEAR.  Anyone care to
>> offer me a quick point in the right direction?

Here's something that may help... there's a conceptual difference 
between python packages/modules and those for perl and php:

- python includes *lots* of what you may be looking for as standard 
libraries

For example, there are tons of things that you *have* to use CPAN for, 
since they are not included with perl. Here's the official library 
reference for the latest python:

   http://docs.python.org/lib/lib.html

As you can see, there is why they way that python comes with batteries 
included ;-) There is a lot of stuff there... I am *still* exploring 
parts of the standard libs I have never used, and I've been using 
python for years.

Threads on the python/python-dev lists pop up on a semi-regular basis 
with ideas for making something more like CPAN for python. Nothing ever 
really happens. The truth is, that once you get used to the standard 
python libraries and searching sourceforge and google for non standard 
ones, it's not a lot of extra effort and the pain of setting something 
up like CPAN doesn't measure up with cost/benefit.

When I switched from perl to python, I ran into the same issue as you 
are experiencing. It really pissed me off. However, as soon as I got my 
head around the conceptual differences, the pain went away.

Hang in there!

Duncan