PyCon Zim 2017 I had the priviledge of attending PyCon Zimbabwe two weeks ago. This was my very first language conference. PyCon is a conference for the Python programming community. In Zimbabwe, it was held from the 23rd to the 26th of August 2017. This year’s PyCon was the second one in Zimbabwe and its …
How to send desktop notifications in Linux.
Desktop notifications are used to inform the user about an event or display some form of information without getting in the user’s way. Notifications are usually small pop up windows that disappear after a short while. There are a number of ways to display notifications using Python, but most of these depend on some GUI …
Working with CSV files in Python
A common file format used to store data is the .csv file. The ‘csv’ in the name stands for “Comma Separated Values”. CSV files are very similar to Excel spreadsheets in that the data theiris arranged in rows and columns. Excel files are written in binary format whereas csv files are simple text files that …
Virtual environments in Python
In Python, a virtual environment is way of isolating a working copy of Python to test software or to install new packages without affecting existing packages. virtualenv is a tool used to create isolated Python environments. virtualenv is a useful tool for creating sandboxes or for installing packages locally without system administrator access and also …
Working With Excel Spreadsheets using Python
Microsoft Excel is a popular application for Windows that is used to work with spreadsheets, tables and charts. Spreadsheets are used extensively in the business world to record budgets, create reports, manage inventory or perform calculations. Working on Excel tasks in your day to day work can be boring, mind-numbing and even daunting especially if …
How to find all files containing specific text in linux?
Recently, while working on a project, I needed to search if an image I intended to delete was in use anywhere else in the code. There were lot’s of text files to go through and I needed a quick way to tell whether or not it was safe to delete said image. I learned how …
How to install 3rd party python modules
Python follows a “batteries included” philosophy, which means that a lot of functionality you may need is built in to the language itself.Python developers have developed their own modules to extend Python’s capabilities even further. These third party modules are kept in the Python Package Index or PyPI which is similar to an app store …
Why I failed as a blogger and what I am doing about it
Blogging is a great way to share your opinion and become an authority in a particular field. It is possible to make lot’s of money from a blog if this is done right. I have been running this blog for seven years now and in that time I have only produced about 60 or so …
My solution to the FizzBuzz challenge.
The “FizzBuzz Test” is an interview question meant to filter out candidates that cannot program their way out of a paper bag. When I first read about this test on codinghorror, I assumed that it must be a very difficult challenge for it to filter out 99% of software development job candidates but it turns …
How to untar files in Linux/Ubuntu
In Linux, a common file format is the tarball. A tarball is a compressed folder similar to a zip file. Most Linux distributions include a graphical archive manager that allows the user to extract and manage different types of archives. While GUI based packages are great, I prefer using the terminal to manipulate files. A …