Chapter 5 Standing Guard When Python Breaks Free

Intuitive Python — by David Muller (35 / 41)

👈 Wrapping Up | TOC | Installing Third-Party Packages Securely with pip 👉

You’ve heard of Jurassic Park, right? In case you haven’t, the plot goes like this: a group of people showcase genetically modified dinosaurs in a purpose-built amusement park on a remote island. The dinosaurs are bred in a laboratory and engineered to require a specific chemical that can only be produced by the laboratory. Ostensibly, the dinosaurs are under control because they rely on the laboratory to provide this essential chemical.

Sure enough and without too much trouble, the dinosaurs find a way to obtain the chemical on their own. They start to cause problems at the park. Several movies and many wonderfully entertaining T-Rex chase scenes ensue.

Jurassic Park might be an entertaining book and movie, but how does that help us write better Python?

Almost every code base I’ve worked on is a little like Jurassic Park. An island full of people and monsters. A living, breathing, ecosphere of life that is often inches from going off the rails.

Maybe the codebase you work on feels a bit more tame; it may feel like everything is actually under control. That sense of security can feel good and be well-founded at times. There is a lot to be learned, however, about how to live peacefully with the dinosaurs that are lurking in the mist.