I've started a new Python project called Py65. It aims to provide building blocks for modeling 65xx microcomputer systems in software, with a focus on homebuilt hardware. Using simulation, embedded systems software can be developed and tested much faster. In its current form, Py65 supports the original NMOS 6502 microprocessor from MOS Technology. [...]...

Horde/Routes is a URL mapping system for PHP 5. It is a direct port of the Routes, a Python library that is part of the Pylons project. Horde/Routes is a standalone library designed to be integrated into any MVC framework. This release brings in some changes from Routes 1.8. The most [...]...

Python has a nice module in the standard library called shlex that parses strings as a Unix shell would. Here's a Python interpreter session demonstrating its usage: >>> import shlex >>> shlex.split('foo "bar baz" qux') ['foo', 'bar baz', 'qux'] It's useful for creating your own mini-languages or external DSLs that need to parse quoted strings like the one [...]...

The OSCON 2008 website has published its talk schedule. I'll be giving two talks at OSCON this year; one on the Python track and one on the PHP track. Supervisor as a Platform I will quickly introduce you to Supervisor and the immediate benefits of running your server processes under it. We will then dive [...]...

I'm pleased to have been able to contribute a recipe to Mike Clark's new book, Advanced Rails Recipes. The concept presented in my recipe, "Fail Early", is that you can use initializers to prevent your application from starting up under certain conditions. Rails applications typically run under persistent application server processes, like mongrel [...]...