What's New in PyScript [August 2023]

Episode Deep Dive

Guests Introduction and Background

Fabio Pliger is a seasoned Python developer who has been deeply involved in community building. He previously chaired EuroPython for multiple years and co-founded the Python Italia organization. He’s passionate about Python's ecosystem, especially around education and emerging areas like running Python in the browser.

Nicholas Tollervey is a principal engineer on the PyScript team at Anaconda. He has a rich history with the Python community, including work on the BBC micro:bit and other educational projects. His current focus is on Python in education and making PyScript a central platform for browser-based Python applications.

What to Know If You’re New to Python

Here are a few essentials to help you follow along with Python running in the browser:

• Python is known for its readability and friendly community—ideal if you’re learning your first programming language.
• PyScript relies on WebAssembly (WASM) to bring Python’s capabilities natively to the browser.
• When the episode references “client-side” execution, it means running Python code directly within your web browser without any additional installation.

Key Points and Takeaways

1. The Next Generation of PyScript PyScript is evolving from a simple tag-based Python runner to a more flexible platform supporting multiple runtimes and web-centric features. The new “PyScript Next” initiative aims to deliver smaller core components and better performance.
   • Links / Tools:
     • PyScript
     • PyScript GitHub
2. MicroPython in the Browser The team collaborated with MicroPython’s creator, Damien George, to implement a robust foreign function interface (FFI) for JavaScript. MicroPython loads lightning-fast, as small as around 170kB, making it ideal for low-latency, lightweight Python apps.
   • Links / Tools:
     • MicroPython
3. Platform vs. Framework PyScript is being designed as a platform on which multiple frameworks or libraries can be built. Just like Django or Flask in the server world, you’ll see new browser-focused frameworks pop up in the PyScript ecosystem.
   • Links / Tools:
     • Pyodide (CPython in WebAssembly)
4. Bridging Python Education and the Browser Both Fabio and Nicholas emphasize how PyScript can help educators bypass locked-down school computers. Instead of installing Python, students can open a browser and code with Python immediately—ideal for learning and quick experimentation.
   • Tools / Ideas:
     • Live REPL in the browser
     • Less friction for first-time coders
5. Synergy with Other Browser-Based Python Projects Projects like Pyodide and MicroPython have found a collaborative ally in PyScript. Rather than reinventing the wheel, PyScript’s next-gen architecture will reuse and unify the best approaches from these interpreters.
   • Links / Tools:
     • Pyodide’s GitHub
6. PyScript.com Platform PyScript.com is a new service offering free hosting and easy sharing for PyScript-powered apps. It eliminates deployment hurdles so users can demo and distribute their Python-in-the-browser projects with just a link.
   • Links / Tools:
     • PyScript.com
7. Workers and Concurrency PyScript’s new version allows running Python code in Web Workers. This means truly concurrent or parallel-like behavior in the browser, keeping interfaces responsive while Python code executes.
   • Links / Tools:
     • Web Workers MDN Docs
8. Future of Python in the Browser The interview hinted at a coming era where complex Python apps—data visualization, reactive dashboards, and more—can run purely client-side. This could give popular JavaScript frameworks some healthy competition.
9. Creative Experiments (e.g., PyScript in a Tesla) Nicholas shared a demo running PyScript in the Tesla’s onboard browser, highlighting how any device with a modern browser can now be a Python-capable environment, including mobile phones and tablets.
   • Links / Tools:
     • Demo video link at Nicholas Tollervey’s Twitter (unofficial reference)
10. Open Source and Community Involvement Both guests encourage developers—veterans and newcomers—to jump into PyScript’s open-source community. They welcome feedback on GitHub, new plugins, or any creative use cases that help shape the platform’s future.

• Links / Tools:
  • PyScript GitHub Issues

Interesting Quotes and Stories

• On the Tesla Browser Demo “Because it’s just a browser, we stuck PyScript in a Tesla and had it honk like a goose. Python in your car—why not?”
• On Education and Lockdown Computers “Teachers are forced into these locked environments where installing software is impossible. If you can open a webpage, you can run Python. That’s game-changing for education.”
• The Old Days of the Web “I remember first using NCSA Mosaic… it was mind-blowing. Now, we’re using the browser as a kind of universal platform for Python code.”

Key Definitions and Terms

• WebAssembly (WASM): A low-level binary format for running code at near-native speed in a browser.
• PyScript: A platform allowing Python to run natively in HTML, bridging Python, JavaScript, and WebAssembly.
• MicroPython: A lightweight Python implementation optimized for embedded devices and, now, the browser.
• Foreign Function Interface (FFI): Mechanism to call functions across different languages or runtimes (e.g., calling JavaScript from Python).
• Web Workers: A browser API for running scripts in background threads separate from the main UI thread.

Learning Resources

Looking to expand your Python knowledge further? Here are a few curated courses that align well with the web and Python topics in this episode:

• Python for Absolute Beginners – If you’re new to Python and want a solid foundation.
• HTMX + Flask: Modern Python Web Apps, Hold the JavaScript – A look at building interactive web apps while still relying on a clean Python backend.

Overall Takeaway

PyScript continues to push the boundaries of where Python can run, making the browser a first-class citizen for Python applications. With support for multiple runtimes, rapid development on platforms like PyScript.com, and a vision for empowering learners and creators, PyScript is bringing Python to devices and domains it’s never before inhabited. The excitement around Python in education, concurrency, and interactivity suggests a bright future for Python developers—and newcomers—everywhere.