Many people use the standard Python debugger (pdb) because it works well and can be used as a standalone tool or with your favorite editor. I’ve used it for years, but today I’m more productive using the PyCharm debugger. It can debug Python, JavaScript, and Django and Jinja Templates (making the debugging process seamless in […]
Choosing the Best Python IDE
In this article I’ll review six Python IDEs. I’m mainly interested in IDEs that are cross-platform and have strong web development support (Django, HTML templates, JavaScript, etc). Because of this, well-regarded IDEs like PyScripter and Python Tools for Visual Studio are out since they are Windows-only. The Python website maintains a full list of Python […]
How to Get Started with PyCharm and Have a Productive Python IDE
The whole Editors versus IDEs debate is getting old and boring, especially because it is not a zero sum game. I’ve been using Emacs for 15+ years and at one point I used it to read my email, browse the web, and make coffee (haven’t we all?). But today I find that I’m more productive […]
How I Made $6,000 in 7 Days with my Ebook
In July 2012 I published my ebook, Music For Geeks and Nerds. I earned about $6,000 in profit in the first seven days and more than $10,000 in one year. It’s not nearly as much as someone like Nathan Barry is doing, but it’s reportedly more than what I could make with traditional publishing. It’s […]
Converting MIDI Files to MP3 on the Mac OS
I often need to convert a bunch of MIDI files to MP3 for teaching and lecturing. I used to use the venerable Timidity++ on Linux, but since switching to the Mac I could never quite get it to work. There are a few commercial graphical apps for the Mac and you can even use Garageband, […]
From Mathematical Sequences to Music with Python
The idea of transforming a mathematical sequence into sound may sound (no pun intended, but I’ll take it) strange at first, but people have been doing it for ages. In this post we will generate some music randomly to have and idea of how it sounds and then we will see how sequences like Fibonacci […]