Laurent Direr
I'm a freelance web developer helping small teams ship reliable software. I've been working with Python for 10+ years and enjoy automating work for other developers.
These days I'm very interested in local-first software technologies.
I attended the Recurse Center (a programming retreat) in 2018.
Session
The Python Abstract Syntax Tree powers tools like pytest, linters, and automatic refactoring.
In this talk, we'll approach syntax trees from first principles and see how Python code can be treated as structured data.
We'll then explore how syntax trees can be used to automate refactoring across large codebases.
Using a real-world example and the libCST library, we'll build a small refactoring tool and share practical advice for writing and applying automated refactorings.
You'll leave with a clear mental model of syntax trees and a solid starting point for writing your own refactoring tools.