[Python Dependency Pitfalls] "Re-inventing the wheel" disease

Hey there,

PyPI, the Python packaging repository, now contains more than 100,000 third-party packages in total.

That's an *overwhelming* number of packages to choose from...

And this feeling of overwhelm and "choice paralysis" is exactly what held me back earlier on in my Python career.

Here, let me explain:

Back when I got "serious" about building my Python skills, mastering the syntax of the language was NOT the hardest part.

Python's syntax is quite clear and intuitive by comparison, and there's a (relatively) obvious path to learning it.

But when it comes to Python's 100k+ libraries and frameworks that's simply an OVERWHELMING number to choose from (and there's no way to memorize all of them.)

So anyway, what tripped me up as a fledgling Pythonista was this:

I had the basics of Python under my belt, but I struggled when it came to adopting the right workflows and tools of the "ecosystem" surrounding the core language.

Thus, I wasted time reinventing existing solutions left and right...

Sometimes I spent DAYS writing my own (crappy) versions of common building blocks like config file parsers, data validators, or visualization tools.

Now, sure I learned quite a bit from doing that—

But I kept repeating the same mistake and was "reinventing the wheel" even when under a tight deadline.

In hindsight, my ignorance caused me a ton of undue stress and sleep deprivation.

Part of it was overconfidence in my abilities, and another part was a lack of experience using "bread and butter" tools like the pip package manager, virtual environments, and requirements files.

Once I got the hang of Python's dependency management tools and workflows I was able to overcome my "reinventing the wheel disease" relatively quickly.

Mastering those tools and coming up with strategies for identifying high-quality Python packages opened up a whole new world to me:

By leveraging Python's packaging ecosystem I was suddenly coding at a higher level of abstraction.

And it had a MASSIVE impact on my productivity and efficiency.

Saying it allowed me to 10X my output wouldn't be too far off.

If you use Python and you're wondering how to go from "writing scripts" to "building applications"—

Then there's a good chance you could benefit from focusing on your dependency management skills.

You might be ready for a similar "quantum leap" in your productivity.

In Managing Python Dependencies With Pip and Virtual Environments, I give you the exact step-by-step workflows I use every day to work on Python projects small and large.

When you add just one of these tricks to your personal dev workflow you'll *permanently* increase your productivity and efficiency as a developer.

Details here:

realpython.com/products/managing-python-dependencies/

— Dan Bader

Older messages

[Python Dependency Pitfalls] Artisanal "from-scratch" development

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Hey there, The other day I got this question from Newsletter member Newvick in my email inbox: ~~~ I'm trying to get past the beginner's stage in Python and one problem I have is: When do you

[Python Dependency Pitfalls] What dev managers expect from Python candidates

Monday, November 1, 2021

Hey there, My friend Og is a senior manager at Red Hat and works with a large team of developers and quality engineers using Python. I got to pick his brain on what he thought were the most important

[Python Dependency Pitfalls] How to set the world on fire

Sunday, October 31, 2021

Hey there, #1 on my list of dependency management pitfalls is there for a good reason: It lead to a single developer causing mayhem and breaking thousands of open-source projects around the world in

[Python Dependency Pitfalls] The Iceberg

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Hey there, The other day I read this quote from a Python developer that made me stop and think: "As a noob with a little programming knowledge already, I've found setting up and installing

[Python Dependency Pitfalls] "Re-inventing the wheel" disease

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Hey there, PyPI, the Python packaging repository, now contains more than 100000 third-party packages in total. That's an *overwhelming* number of packages to choose from... And this feeling of

You Might Also Like

SBF gets 25 years 

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Sam Bankman-Fried is sentenced View this email online in your browser By Christine Hall Thursday, March 28, 2024 Welcome back to TechCrunch PM! The editorial team spent a chunk of the day discussing

💎 Issue 410 - Being laid off in 2023-2024 as an early-career developer

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week's Awesome Ruby Newsletter Read this email on the Web The Awesome Ruby Newsletter Issue » 410 Release Date Mar 28, 2024 Your weekly report of the most popular Ruby news, articles and

💻 Issue 403 - Microsoft defends .NET 9 features competing with open source ecosystem

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week's Awesome .NET Weekly Read this email on the Web The Awesome .NET Weekly Issue » 403 Release Date Mar 28, 2024 Your weekly report of the most popular .NET news, articles and projects

💻 Issue 410 - Node.js TSC Confirms: No Intention to Remove npm from Distribution

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week's Awesome Node.js Weekly Read this email on the Web The Awesome Node.js Weekly Issue » 410 Release Date Mar 28, 2024 Your weekly report of the most popular Node.js news, articles and

💻 Issue 410 - JSDoc as an alternative TypeScript syntax

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week's Awesome JavaScript Weekly Read this email on the Web The Awesome JavaScript Weekly Issue » 410 Release Date Mar 28, 2024 Your weekly report of the most popular JavaScript news, articles

📱 Issue 404 - Dependency Injection for Modern Swift Applications Part II

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week's Awesome iOS Weekly Read this email on the Web The Awesome iOS Weekly Issue » 404 Release Date Mar 28, 2024 Your weekly report of the most popular iOS news, articles and projects Popular

💻 Issue 328 - My new open-source repository to schedule all your content!

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week's Awesome React Weekly Read this email on the Web The Awesome React Weekly Issue » 328 Release Date Mar 28, 2024 Your weekly report of the most popular React news, articles and projects

📱 Issue 407 - Apple just announced WWDC24. The keynote for WWDC24 will be held on Monday, June 10th.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week's Awesome Swift Weekly Read this email on the Web The Awesome Swift Weekly Issue » 407 Release Date Mar 28, 2024 Your weekly report of the most popular Swift news, articles and projects

💻 Issue 405 - 2024 Edition Update

Thursday, March 28, 2024

This week's Awesome Rust Weekly Read this email on the Web The Awesome Rust Weekly Issue » 405 Release Date Mar 28, 2024 Your weekly report of the most popular Rust news, articles and projects

🤖 What to Expect From Google I/O 2024 — How to Stop Apps From Leaking Your Data

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Also: The Best Camera Straps of 2024, and More! How-To Geek Logo March 28, 2024 📩 Get expert reviews, the hottest deals, how-to's, breaking news, and more delivered directly to your inbox by