Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-08-03 Thread Mark Lawrence

On 21/07/2012 00:59, Ethan Furman wrote:

Getting closer to a stable release.

Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.

Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

Bug reports, comments, and kudos welcome!  ;)

~Ethan~


Will this work with Recital software on VMS? :)

--
Cheers.

Mark Lawrence.

--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-08-03 Thread Alex Strickland

On 2012/07/21 11:49 PM, Mark Lawrence wrote:


and PS is spelt p.s. :)


Ahem, the absolutely authoritative reference on the subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postscript

says PS or P.S.
--
Regards
Alex
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-08-03 Thread Mark Lawrence

On 03/08/2012 13:50, Alex Strickland wrote:

On 2012/07/21 11:49 PM, Mark Lawrence wrote:


and PS is spelt p.s. :)


Ahem, the absolutely authoritative reference on the subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postscript

says PS or P.S.


I'm sorry but you can't read my writing[1].

[1] another Python sketch for the uninitiated but on album only possibly?

--
Cheers.

Mark Lawrence.

--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-08-03 Thread Ethan Furman

Mark Lawrence wrote:

On 21/07/2012 00:59, Ethan Furman wrote:

Getting closer to a stable release.

Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.

Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

Bug reports, comments, and kudos welcome!  ;)


Will this work with Recital software on VMS? :)


Does Recital use dBase III, Foxbase, Foxpro, or Visual Foxpro compatible 
files?  Does Python run on VMS?  If yes to both of those, then it 
should.  :)


~Ethan~
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-23 Thread Ethan Furman

Ethan Furman wrote:

Alex Strickland wrote:

Not supported: index files:

I have been using http://sourceforge.net/projects/harbour-project/ for 
years where a guy called Przemyslaw Czerpak has written an absolutely 
bullet proof implementation of NTX and CDX for DBF. Maybe it will 
interest you.


I'll check it out, thanks!


Unfortunately his code is GPL'ed, so I can't use it.  :(

~Ethan~
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-23 Thread Ethan Furman

Chris Angelico wrote:

On Sun, Jul 22, 2012 at 4:15 AM, Ethan Furman et...@stoneleaf.us wrote:

I'll support 3.3+, but not with the same code base:  I want to use all the
cool features that 3.3 has!  :)


The trouble with double-codebasing is that you have double
maintenance. But sure. So long as your time isn't under great
pressure, it can be quite effective.


Once I get dbf.py to 1.0 release, it will enter maintenance/bug-fix-only 
mode, and I'll start on the 3.3+ version.


The 1.0 release will have the final API, support for Clipper tables, 
hopefully support for auto-incrementing fields, maybe support for .idx 
files, plus everything there now.


.cdx files (and maybe .idx files) will have to wait for the 3.3+ version.


There, now I have a roadmap to follow!  :)

~Ethan~
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Ethan Furman

Steven D'Aprano wrote:
This mailing list is about helping our fellow Python developers improve 
their skills and solve problems. That doesn't just mean *coding* 
problems, it also means helping them to write better documentation and 
promote their software better.


Indeed it is, and your reminder is appreciated.  Hopefully my 
followup-post was more explanatory.



Unless the software is so well-known that everybody knows what it is, 
failure to mention what the software does gives the impression that: 

1) the software is so niche, or so ill-thought out, that the developer 
*can't* describe it succinctly;


Nah -- just the end of a long week, needed to go get my daughter, and 
wanted it out there for those few who actually need the bug fixes (which 
I neglected to mention).


2) the developer has such poor communication skills that trying to get 
support will be a nightmare;


My support is pretty good.  :)



3) that he just doesn't give a monkey's toss for anyone else's time


See point one.


or all three. Ethan is a good, helpful member of this community, and
so I'm pretty sure that neither 2) nor 3) are true, but others may get
the wrong impression.


Thank you.  The project is kinda niche, but very useful if you happen to 
be in that niche.




Here are a few randomly selected examples of good release announcements:

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009528.html

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009509.html

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009524.html


Those are good.  My announcement will be better next time.

~Ethan~
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Ethan Furman

Simon Cropper wrote:


Question 1 - What version of VFP will dbf work with? Is VFP9 OK?


As long as you don't use auto-incrementing fields nor varchar fields 
you'll be fine.




Question 2 - You statement of compatibility is unclear.


Works with CPython 2.4 - 2.7. (Tested)

Works with PyPy 1.8. (Tested)

Should work with the others.  (Not tested)


~Ethan~
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Chris Angelico
On Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 6:02 PM, Ethan Furman et...@stoneleaf.us wrote:
 Works with CPython 2.4 - 2.7. (Tested)

Have you considered supporting 3.2/3.3 at all? It's often not
difficult to make your code compatible with both. Or is there some
dependency that is locked to 2.X?

ChrisA
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Ethan Furman

Chris Angelico wrote:

On Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 6:02 PM, Ethan Furman et...@stoneleaf.us wrote:

Works with CPython 2.4 - 2.7. (Tested)


Have you considered supporting 3.2/3.3 at all? It's often not
difficult to make your code compatible with both. Or is there some
dependency that is locked to 2.X?


I'll support 3.3+, but not with the same code base:  I want to use all 
the cool features that 3.3 has!  :)


~Ethan~
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Chris Angelico
On Sun, Jul 22, 2012 at 4:15 AM, Ethan Furman et...@stoneleaf.us wrote:
 I'll support 3.3+, but not with the same code base:  I want to use all the
 cool features that 3.3 has!  :)

The trouble with double-codebasing is that you have double
maintenance. But sure. So long as your time isn't under great
pressure, it can be quite effective.

Recommendation: Figure out a way to minimize double-handling of
things. One way might be to have source control manage it for you -
apply a patch to your 3.3+ source tree, then merge it into your 2.4+
tree and see if it applies cleanly. I dunno how successful that'd be,
but I really dread the idea of maintaining, unassisted, two identical
projects in two dialects of the same language. Recipe for burnout I'd
predict.

ChrisA
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Matej Cepl

On 21/07/12 05:26, Ethan Furman wrote:

dbf (also known as python dbase) is a module for reading/writing
dBase III, FP, VFP, and soon Clipper, .dbf database files. It's
an ancient format that still finds lots of use.


Other than the caring for the ancient legacy data, it is still widely 
used in GIS, because shapefiles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapefile) 
are based on it.


Matěj
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Alex Strickland

Hi


Getting closer to a stable release.

Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.

Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

Bug reports, comments, and kudos welcome!  ;)


Not supported: index files:

I have been using http://sourceforge.net/projects/harbour-project/ for 
years where a guy called Przemyslaw Czerpak has written an absolutely 
bullet proof implementation of NTX and CDX for DBF. Maybe it will 
interest you.


PS : bareable is spelt bearable.

--
Regards
Alex
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Mark Lawrence

On 21/07/2012 21:57, Alex Strickland wrote:

Hi


Getting closer to a stable release.

Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.

Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

Bug reports, comments, and kudos welcome!  ;)


Not supported: index files:

I have been using http://sourceforge.net/projects/harbour-project/ for
years where a guy called Przemyslaw Czerpak has written an absolutely
bullet proof implementation of NTX and CDX for DBF. Maybe it will
interest you.

PS : bareable is spelt bearable.



and PS is spelt p.s. :)

--
Cheers.

Mark Lawrence.

--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-21 Thread Ethan Furman

Alex Strickland wrote:

Hi


Getting closer to a stable release.

Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.

Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

Bug reports, comments, and kudos welcome!  ;)


Not supported: index files:

I have been using http://sourceforge.net/projects/harbour-project/ for 
years where a guy called Przemyslaw Czerpak has written an absolutely 
bullet proof implementation of NTX and CDX for DBF. Maybe it will 
interest you.


I'll check it out, thanks!


PS : bareable is spelt bearable.


I wondered about that.  :/

~Ethan~

--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Steven D'Aprano
On Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:59:21 -0700, Ethan Furman wrote:

 Getting closer to a stable release.

Excellent! That's fantastic news! I've been waiting for a stable release 
of dbf for months! I just have one question.

What is dbf?


 Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
 hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.
 
 Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

I don't generally click on arbitrary links to find out whether or not the 
link is something that interests me enough to click on it.



-- 
Steven
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Temia Eszteri
On 21 Jul 2012 00:50:13 GMT, Steven D'Aprano
steve+comp.lang.pyt...@pearwood.info wrote:

 Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
 hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.
 
 Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

I don't generally click on arbitrary links to find out whether or not the 
link is something that interests me enough to click on it.

Can't really call a cheese shop link arbitrary. It's in the best place
it could be for providing info about the package.

~Temia
-- 
Invective! Verb your expletive nouns!
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Chris Angelico
On Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 12:56 PM, Temia Eszteri lamial...@cleverpun.com wrote:
 On 21 Jul 2012 00:50:13 GMT, Steven D'Aprano
 steve+comp.lang.pyt...@pearwood.info wrote:

 Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
 hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.

 Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

I don't generally click on arbitrary links to find out whether or not the
link is something that interests me enough to click on it.

 Can't really call a cheese shop link arbitrary. It's in the best place
 it could be for providing info about the package.

True, but Steven's point still stands, that announcements of this
nature are far more readable when they open with a one-sentence
statement of what the package _is_.

ChrisA
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Simon Cropper

On 21/07/12 09:59, Ethan Furman wrote:

Getting closer to a stable release.

Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.

Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

Bug reports, comments, and kudos welcome!  ;)

~Ethan~


Question 1 - What version of VFP will dbf work with? Is VFP9 OK?

Question 2 - You statement of compatibility is unclear.

Works with PyPy, OK.

Hopefully works with other implementations, Hm, what does this mean?

Works or hopefully works with CPython -- which is it?

--
Cheers Simon

   Simon Cropper - Open Content Creator

   Free and Open Source Software Workflow Guides
   
   Introduction   http://www.fossworkflowguides.com
   GIS Packages   http://www.fossworkflowguides.com/gis
   bash / Pythonhttp://www.fossworkflowguides.com/scripting
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Steven D'Aprano
On Fri, 20 Jul 2012 19:56:59 -0700, Temia Eszteri wrote:

I don't generally click on arbitrary links to find out whether or not
the link is something that interests me enough to click on it.
 
 Can't really call a cheese shop link arbitrary. It's in the best place
 it could be for providing info about the package.

You've missed the point. Why should I bother to click on it at all, PyPI 
or not, if I'm going to find it is a library for something I don't care 
about? If the developer of the library doesn't write a few words to tell 
people what his library does when making an announcement, or what 
improvements there are from the previous release, he's going to struggle 
to attract even those users who *would* be interested, if only they knew 
about it.

This mailing list is about helping our fellow Python developers improve 
their skills and solve problems. That doesn't just mean *coding* 
problems, it also means helping them to write better documentation and 
promote their software better.

For every person like me who takes the time out to gently remind the 
developer that we aren't mind-readers and don't know WTF he's talking 
about, there are a thousand who just move on, and he's just lost 99% of his 
potential user-base. Since he's taken the time out to make a public 
announcement, I assume he would like people to use his software. If not, 
why bother making the announcement at all?

Unless the software is so well-known that everybody knows what it is, 
failure to mention what the software does gives the impression that: 

1) the software is so niche, or so ill-thought out, that the developer 
*can't* describe it succinctly;

2) the developer has such poor communication skills that trying to get 
support will be a nightmare;

3) that he just doesn't give a monkey's toss for anyone else's time

or all three. Ethan is a good, helpful member of this community, and
so I'm pretty sure that neither 2) nor 3) are true, but others may get
the wrong impression.

Here are a few randomly selected examples of good release announcements:

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009528.html

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009509.html

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009524.html



-- 
Steven
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Temia Eszteri
On Sat, 21 Jul 2012 13:02:55 +1000, Chris Angelico ros...@gmail.com
wrote:

On Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 12:56 PM, Temia Eszteri lamial...@cleverpun.com 
wrote:
 On 21 Jul 2012 00:50:13 GMT, Steven D'Aprano
 steve+comp.lang.pyt...@pearwood.info wrote:

 Latest version has a simpler, cleaner API, and works on PyPy (and
 hopefully the other implementations as well ;), as well as CPython.

 Get your copy at http://python.org/pypi/dbf.

I don't generally click on arbitrary links to find out whether or not the
link is something that interests me enough to click on it.

 Can't really call a cheese shop link arbitrary. It's in the best place
 it could be for providing info about the package.

True, but Steven's point still stands, that announcements of this
nature are far more readable when they open with a one-sentence
statement of what the package _is_.

ChrisA

If I wanted to counter his whole point, I would've quoted his whole
post. ;P Yes, the post to the newsgroup is rather oblique, but the
cheese shop is hardly arbitrary.

~Temia
-- 
Invective! Verb your expletive nouns!
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Ethan Furman

Steven D'Aprano wrote:

On Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:59:21 -0700, Ethan Furman wrote:


Getting closer to a stable release.


Excellent! That's fantastic news! I've been waiting for a stable release 
of dbf for months! I just have one question.


What is dbf?


:)

dbf (also known as python dbase) is a module for reading/writing
dBase III, FP, VFP, and soon Clipper, .dbf database files.  It's
an ancient format that still finds lots of use.

It even reads and writes memo fields -- something which none of the 
other modules do (which is why I wrote this one -- I needed that! ;).


It supports unicode, and returns all fields as native Python types:

  Character -- unicode
  Date  -- datetime.date
  Logical   -- bool/None
  Memo  -- unicode
  Numeric   -- int/float depending on field definition

If a field is uninitialized (Date, Logical, Numeric) then None is 
returned for the value.


Tables are accessible as lists; Records are accessible as lists, dicts, 
and objects ( attribute access ).


Enjoy your weekend!
--
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Steven D'Aprano
On Sat, 21 Jul 2012 13:30:40 +1000, Simon Cropper wrote:

 Works with PyPy, OK.
 
 Hopefully works with other implementations, Hm, what does this mean?

I guess that Ethan means that his library definitely works with PyPy and 
CPython, because he has tested it on those, and that he expects that it 
will work with Stackless, Jython, IronPython, and any other compliant 
Python interpreter, but hasn't tested on them.

 Works or hopefully works with CPython -- which is it?

I agree that the sentence is unclear, but my reading of it is that it 
works on CPython.



-- 
Steven
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Temia Eszteri
On 21 Jul 2012 03:34:44 GMT, Steven D'Aprano
steve+comp.lang.pyt...@pearwood.info wrote:

tl;dr

Easy there, tiger. No need to get riled up over a single nitpick over
phrasing.

~Temia
-- 
Invective! Verb your expletive nouns!
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Re: ANN: dbf.py 0.94

2012-07-20 Thread Chris Angelico
On Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 1:34 PM, Steven D'Aprano
steve+comp.lang.pyt...@pearwood.info wrote:
 Unless the software is so well-known that everybody knows what it is...

I've yet to meet ANY piece of software that's like that. Even with
releases of CPython (arguably the primary point of this list) it
wouldn't hurt to give an explanation, and certainly with other
Pythons, it'd help a lot (PyPy and Jython are probably guessable, but
I wouldn't bet on anyone knowing what IronPython is without a
summary).

 Here are a few randomly selected examples of good release announcements:

 http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009528.html

 http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009509.html

 http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2012-June/009524.html

Agreed, those are worth imitating.

ChrisA
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list