Python Bytes is a weekly podcast hosted by Michael Kennedy and Brian Okken. The show is a short discussion on the headlines and noteworthy news in the Python, developer, and data science space.
#472 Monorepos
March 09, 2026
00:28:52
5.36 MB ( 33.3 MB less)
Downloads: 0
Topics covered in this episode:
- Setting up a Python monorepo with uv workspaces
- cattrs: Flexible Object Serialization and Validation
- Learning to program in the AI age
- VS Code extension for FastAPI and friends
- Extras
- Joke
About the show
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Brian #1: Setting up a Python monorepo with uv workspaces
- Dennis Traub
- The 3 things
- Give the Root a Distinct Name
- Use workspace = true for Inter-Package Deps
- Use importlib Mode for pytest
Michael #2: cattrs: Flexible Object Serialization and Validation
- cattrs is a Swiss Army knife for (un)structuring and validating data in Python.
- A natural alternative/follow on from DataClass Wizard
- Converts to ←→ from dictionaries
- cattrs also focuses on functional composition and not coupling your data model to its serialization and validation rules.
- When you’re handed unstructured data (by your network, file system, database, …), cattrs helps to convert this data into trustworthy structured data.
- Batteries Included: cattrs comes with pre-configured converters for a number of serialization libraries, including JSON (standard library, orjson, UltraJSON), msgpack, cbor2, bson, PyYAML, tomlkit and msgspec (supports only JSON at this time).
Brian #3: Learning to program in the AI age
- Jose Blanca
- “I teach a couple of introductory Python courses and I've been thinking about which advice to give to my students, that are studying how to program for the first time. I have collected my ideas in these blog posts”
- Why learning to program is as useful as ever, even with powerful AI tools available.
- How to use AI as a tutor rather than a shortcut, and why practice remains the key to real understanding.
- What the real learning objectives are: mental models, managing complexity, and thinking like a software developer.
Michael #4: VS Code extension for FastAPI and friends
- Enhances the FastAPI development experience in Visual Studio Code
- Path Operation Explorer: Provides a hierarchical tree view of all FastAPI routes in your application.
- Search for routes: Use the Command Palette and quickly search for routes by path, method, or name.
- CodeLens links appear above HTTP client calls like client.get('/items'), letting you jump directly to the matching route definition.
- Deploy your application directly to FastAPI Cloud from the status bar with zero config.
- View real-time logs from your FastAPI Cloud deployed applications directly within VS Code.
- Install from Marketplace.
Extras
Brian:
- Guido van Rossum interviews key Python developers from the first 25 years
- IntelliJ IDEA: The Documentary | An origin story video
- Cursor Joined the ACP Registry and Is Now Live in Your JetBrains IDE
- What hyper-personal software looks like
- I’m doing in-person training again (limited scope):
Joke: Saas is dead