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Build Your First Open Source Python Project
A step-by-step guide to a working package
Every software developer and data scientist should go through the exercise of making a package. You’ll learn so much along the way. Just make sure you have some time. 🕰
Making an open source Python package may sound daunting, but you don’t need to be a grizzled veteran. You also don’t need an elaborate product idea. You do need persistence and time. Hopefully this guide will help you need less of both. 😃
In this article, we’ll go through each step to make a basic Python package. In future articles we’ll set up automated tests and doc builds. We’ll also integrate other helpful apps to improve your package development. You can then expand what you’ve built to suit your needs.
If you are looking to learn Python, check out my Memorable Python book.
This guide is for macOS with Python 3.7. Everything works now, but things change fast, so no guarantees if you’re reading this in 2030. In the code below replace my_package, my_file, etc. with your own names.
Let’s get to it! 🚀
Step 1: Make a Plan
We’re eventually planning to make a very simple library for use in a Python program. The package will allow the user to…
