do design patterns still apply with Python?

[ajones]

John Salerno wrote:
> Yeah, that's what I was wondering. I wonder if, after reading a DP book,
> I might have to 'unlearn' some things when applying them to Python.

I would say adjust instead of unlearn. This is probably true to a
lesser or greater extent of any language for which your DP book was not
written.

> But I suppose I should just do it first and then try to implement them
> myself. OOP is just so mind-bending for me that I've kind of put off
> patterns right now until I get more comfortable with it.  :)

I would suggest getting a good grasp on OOP before you get into design
patterns. When most people start with any new concept they tend to try
and see everything in terms of their new toy, so sticking to one or two
new concepts at a time will make things a little easier.

Design patterns are kind of like sarcasm: hard to use well, not always
appropriate, and disgustingly bad when applied to problems they are not
meant to solve. You will do just fine without them until OOP is at
least familiar to you, and by that time you should be a little better
able to use them appropriately.