Unsung Modules Redux

[Scherer, Bill]

It's been just over a year since Andrew Kuchling started the 
"Unsung Python modules" thread [1]. I thought it was a great 
idea, and think it's time to do the poll again.

Queue was one of the big 'unsung' modules of the time.  I'm not 
sure it's unsung anymore; just see any recent thread about, well, 
threads.

I nominate the spread module as my number one unsung module 
(Thanks Guido!). It's easy to use, reliable, and flexible.  I 
have several diffierent things using it, all connecting to 
different channels on the same spread server, which has been 
running without downtime for months. 

Examples: 
  An snmp data collector which puts oid's and values into a 
database and also onto a spread channel, where a tkinter-based 
gui displays the data in charts. This gui also has a chat window 
which uses another spread channel for communications.

  Database backup scripts now send a message out to a spread 
channel when the db goes down and when it comes back up.  
Listeners on websevers shutdown the app when the db goes down 
and put a python webserver in it's place that indicates the app 
is down for maintenance, and reverses the process when the db 
comes back up. (Yes, I'd rather do hot-backups...talk to my 
dba's...)

  I've just been working on connecting dictionaries across a 
spread channel.  This of it as distributed shared memory with a 
python dictionary interface. Imagine the possibilites!  More info 
on request.

So, what's your favorite unsung module today?

1: 
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=3dsnad226b.fsf%40ute.mems-exchange.org&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dunsung%2Bmodules%2Bgroup:comp.lang.python%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D3dsnad226b.fsf%2540ute.mems-exchange.org%26rnum%3D1




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