When and where? • How to register? • Is PyCamp for me? • What to expect? • Who is your instructor? • What you need to bring? • What you need to do to prepare? • Who's coming to PyCamp? • How to get around? • Where to park? • Where to stay? • Where to eat? • Who makes this possible? • Who makes this happen? • What about a flyer? • Where's the wiki? • What's the frequency, Kenneth? • What are the tags? • Where's the beer? For more information, please email pycamp@trizpug.org.

PyCampers are ecstatic about functional programming with Python.

When and Where

• WHEN: July 13-17, 2009
• WHERE: Room 30, Woodsworth College Residence, 321 Bloor Street West, on the campus of the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Room 30 in Woodsworth College Residence is a state of the art high technology classroom. Wireless networking and AC power are provided. A video projection screen monitors the presentation computer at the front of the room. The seating is conference style on terraced risers all facing the instructor. Boot Camp consists of two parts: Check In - Monday July 13, 2009, 8:30am, Room 30, Woodsworth College Residence. Boot Camp Instruction - Monday July 13 through Friday July 17, 2009, 9am-5pm, Room 30, Woodsworth College Residence.

How To Register

PyCampers celebrate their quick learning experience.

Registration is closed!

Toronto PyCamp 2009 is over. It was fun while it lasted. Let's do it again next year.

Registration schedule:

• Complete by Friday, July 3 for regular registration ($375 CAD).
• Complete by Friday, July 10 for late registration ($400 CAD).

Qualify Yourself

Do you:

• Know how to interpret hexadecimal numbers?
• Know how loops work?
• Know what a variable is?
• Know what a markup language like HTML at least is?

If you answered "Yes," then PyCamp is probably for you.

If you already know Python, then PyCamp will probably seem a bit redundant to you.

What To Expect

Check out the all new PyCamp syllabus. This syllabus has been completely revised in response to feedback from previous TriZPUG PyCamps. The syllabus reflects what beginners can be reasonably expected to usefully comprehend and retain in one week.

PyCamp represents a unique pedgogical approach. You will learn:

PyCampers whoop it up.

• By Example - Many programming courses take the rote "reference manual" approach where you are taught all the elements of a language and then expected to apply them from memory. You will instead start with working useful programs and become exposed to the elements of the Python programming language through actual code.
• By Following Along - Many programming courses lecture passive students. Others leave students to work through programming problems on their own. You will instead participate by stepping through working and useful code line by line, building up new features and making changes as you follow along in guided labs.
• By Pythonic Method - Every programming language has a culture and idioms which make it unique. Too many programming courses apply a generic approach to languages, resulting in programmers who write Java programs in Perl. You will learn the zenful practices which make Python the most elegant and practical of programming languages.

Your instructor

Your instructor is Chris Calloway, applications analyst for University of North Carolina Department of Marine Sciences and a member of the Plone Foundation. Chris taught the original PyCamp and has organized many boot camps and sprints for TriZPUG. Chris has been developing in Python for ten years and has 29 years of of IT experience, primarily with IBM. Chris has previously developed and taught 40 hour courses about Java technology.

What You Need To Bring

• A laptop (required!) with Wifi capability and any of the following OS platforms:
  • Windows XP, 2000, or Vista with latest service packs and an accessible Administrator login password
  • Mac OSX 10.5 latest revision or better (Python 2.5.2 is included)
  • Linux with a 2.6 kernel and a package manager (rpm, yum, apt-get, synaptic, etc.).
• An AC power adapter for your laptop.

What You Need To Do To Prepare

• After registration, you will be subscribed to a private email list where you will be sent instructions for whatever you may need to do to prepare. Installation of Python is a part of PyCamp!
• If you want to get a jump on PyCamp, then you can take a peak at some of the resources on TriZPUG's Get Up to Speed page.

Class Roster

The list of PyCamp participants updates as new registrations are submitted and approved.

How To Get Around

Toronto is served by excellent mass transit which also extends to Pearson International Airport. The airport bus stops at the Kipling subway station on the Green (Bloor-Danforth) subway line. Take the Green line eastbound from Kipling station 16 stops to St. George station. St. George station is directly adjacent to the classroom on both the Green (Bloor-Danforth) and Yellow (Younge-University-Spandina) lines. The Yellow line serves a downtown loop.

Where To Park

Municipal Parking operates a number of lots within a few blocks of the classroom for as little as $1 per hour.

Where To Stay

In addition to the many hotels within walking distance of the classroom, the University of Toronto has arranged very inexpensive accommodations with several residence halls. Have a look at the PyCamp Accommodations Guide.

Where To Eat

The neighborhood surrounding the classroom is abundant with a variety of places to dine.

Who Makes PyCamp Possible

Toronto PyCamp 2009 is made possible by the University of Toronto Department of Physics and Scryent.

A special thanks goes to Steven Butterworth, University of Toronto Department of Physics, for the local coordination of PyCamp. Steven is really the catalyst who made PyCamp happen after he attended two TriZPUG boot camps in North Carolina last year. Please express your appreciation to Steven at PyCamp.

Scryent implements and supports public websites, private intranets and collaborative workspaces using Plone, Python and Zope. Located in Toronto, our services include Web & Intranet Solutions, Custom Development, Plone Consulting, Hosting, Training and Support.

Scryent hosts two Plone training courses in August 2009: Plone Content Management and Plone Customization. Learn how to make the best use of this enterprise-grade Open Source CMS. The Plone Customization training is specifically suited for participants of Toronto PyCamp.

Who Makes PyCamp Happen

TriZPUG makes PyCamp happen. And TriZPUG is an all-volunteer organization. PyCamp is happening by popular request of people who want a more convenient path to learn Python. TriZPUG answered the call because TriZPUG is focused on improving the usability of Python products through self-education and outreach.

TriZPUG is a very loose organization with no official membership, dues, or charter, although we are mostly composed of developers from local universities, government agencies, NGOs, and private industry. Python tutorials and training schools are in abundance around the world. But we find that knowing where to start in your learning path is an obstacle, as well as the cost and travel involved in for-profit Python instruction. Therefore, PyCamp is our effort to establish a Python pedagogy we can use in for our particular needs.

Get The Flyer

Download the PyCamp flyer and help publicize PyCamp.

PyCamp Wiki and Email List

The wiki for PyCamp is open to registered PyCamp participants only.

PyCamp Chat Channel

PyCamp has an IRC channel on freenode. See the introductory guide if you don't have experience with IRC. It's a good idea to stay logged into #pycamp during PyCamp!

PyCamp and Social Networks

PyCamp has a Twitter channel. Please use TorontoPyCamp2009 for your Delicious and Flickr tags.

PyCamp Social Schedule

There are two formally organized socials during PyCamp week:

• Monday, July 13, 6pm (or as soon after class as you choose): Fox and Fiddle Pub located in the Holiday Inn at 280 Bloor St. West, one block from the classroom. This is a meet and greet of your classmates. Please wear your PyCamp name badge and receive a free beverage.
• Wednesday, July 15, 6pm (or as soon after class as you choose): Duke of York Pub located at 39 Prince Arthur Ave three blocks from the classroom (head north on St. George one block to Prince Arthur and turn right). Come out to meet the local Python community from the Python GTA Users Group, the Toronto Plone Users Group, and our sponsor Scryent.

The Toronto Plone Users Group is also meeting during PyCamp week on Tuesday, July 14, 6pm at Organic, an interactive agency at 360 Adelaide St. West. You are encouraged to attend if your interest runs to Python and the web. Participants will go out together for food and drink afterwards at approximately 8pm.

From the classroom, go to the adjacent St. George subway station (323 Bloor St. West) and take the Yellow (Younge-University-Spadina) line southbound four stops (past Museum, Queens Park, and St. Patrick) to Osgoode station. Walk south on University Ave two blocks (past Richmond St) and turn right (west) on Adelaide St West (opposing one way vehicle traffic). Organic is six blocks west on Adelaide, just before Charlotte Street. Walking directions for a 29 minute, 2.5km walk from the classroom.