Vacation Exception Handlers 2026 (VacExcHndlrs)

40  try:
41      work.apply_for_time_off()
42  except BossSaysNo:
43      consolation = VacExcHndlrs()
44      consolation.attend_gatherings()
If you are not disappearing for a summer-holiday* (or would welcome an excuse to escape), please join the (Python) Vacation Exception Handlers - a group of us who will be keeping the wheels turning and dealing with any problems/exceptions that occur whilst everyone else is off enjoying themselves.

We will be taking the opportunity for shorter, more-specific (and more-select) gatherings across four to six meetings during January and February 2026 - on whatever topics appeal. What would be useful or of-interest to you? Here are a few suggestions to stimulate your thinking:

  1. Your Idea Here
    What Python challenge, tool, or topic would YOU like to explore with the group?
  2. Algorithmic Alchemy
    Turning complex algorithms into coding gold - exploring foundational algorithms and data structures for those who didn't study Computer Science or want a practical refresh.
    • Tree structures and traversal
    • Graph algorithms and pathfinding
    • Hash tables and dictionaries under the hood
    • Sorting algorithms and when they matter
    • Search algorithms and complexity
    • Compression and/or encryption
    • Memoisation and caching
  3. Pithy Python Perspectives
    Read some (short) thought-provoking material beforehand (or wing-it), then join us to discuss, debate, and discover new perspectives on contentious Python topics.
    • Type hints: Pythonic or not? Readable or clutter? Worth my time?
    • T-strings: useful for application-coders or a solution looking for a problem
    • Modules, classes, or functions: which is best?
    • Using LLMs for coding: helper, crutch, or nuisance?
    • OOP vs functional programming in Python
    • Async: when is it worth the complexity?
    • Are tests good-enough to be called "documentation"?
    • Python's GIL and the no-GIL future
    • Modern data tools (Polars, DuckDB, etc)
  4. Tackling a new tool
    Exploring how to use a library, especially when the documentation is lacklustre
  5. "Office Hours" sessions
    Could discuss some Python-ish topic, or constructively-review some of your code.
    (others use the term Ask me anything for their sessions, but that's not the same as I can answer everything!)
    NB These are not instructor-led Python training sessions. However, if you are attempting an on-line training course, we could discuss any work you're doing.

Gatherings could be held in the usual PP-SIG time-slot (Monday lunch-times), later in the day, evenings, or whenever. With none of the traditional-rules applying it's a free for all - what would you like to do, and when?

Interested? Please contact me (dn) at VacExcHndlrs@DancesWithMice.info with feedback, your ideas, when, what, how, etc. Gatherings will be announced using the PyNZ Online Group channel on Meetup https://www.meetup.com/pythonnz-online/ 🌐. Please join-up if you haven't already.

=dn (David Neil), PyNZ Online Group