Life without Python’s ‘dead batteries’

This (half-)month in Python and elsewhere: Python’s “dead batteries” are about to be removed—and soon. Here’s how to live without them. Also, get started with Pillow for image processing, and find out how Python’s built-in enum module makes working with named constants easier. And, if you’re trawling through Python source code with Python itself, there are better ways to do it. Old-school coder, meet the ast library.

Top picks for Python readers on InfoWorld

What you need to know about Python’s ‘dead batteries’Goodbye to ancient, unmaintained Python standard-library modules! They’re gone as of Python 3.13, and they won’t be missed. You’ll still need to know how to live without them, though, and now is the time to find out.

Image processing in Python with PillowIf you’ve got pictures full of hitches, Pillow (formerly the Python Imaging Library), provides a slew of modules for prettifying them programmatically.

The power of Python enumsClarify your code with named constants. What’s better: True and False, or RUNNING and STOPPED?

Automate processing Python source code with the ‘ast’ moduleStop treating program code like mere text, and start treating it like what it is—something programmable and abstract. The ast module shows you the way.

More good reads and Python updates elsewhere

DBOS Transact: Ultra-lightweight durable execution for Python programsWrite apps that save their progress internally and nothing will throw you off track—not even a system crash.

Run IPython code in LibreOffice Calc with LibrePythonistaJealous of Microsoft Office getting all the Excel-plus-Python love? Don’t be. Here’s a similar solution for LibreOffice devotees.

High-performance Python with code generationEven if you don’t get faster performance by assembling Python bytecode by hand, you’ll still have a massive flex to impress your dev team.