#472 Monorepos
#472 Monorepos  
Podcast: Python Bytes
Published On: Mon Mar 09 2026
Description: 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 Watch on YouTube About the show Sponsored by us! Support our work through: Our courses at Talk Python Training The Complete pytest Course Patreon Supporters Connect with the hosts Michael: @mkennedy@fosstodon.org / @mkennedy.codes (bsky) Brian: @brianokken@fosstodon.org / @brianokken.bsky.social Show: @pythonbytes@fosstodon.org / @pythonbytes.fm (bsky) Join us on YouTube at pythonbytes.fm/live to be part of the audience. Usually Monday at 11am PT. Older video versions available there too. Finally, if you want an artisanal, hand-crafted digest of every week of the show notes in email form? Add your name and email to our friends of the show list, we'll never share it. 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 Interview with Brett Cannon Interview with Thomas Wouters Michael: 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): On-site, hands-on AI engineering enablement for software teams with Michael Joke: Saas is dead