I presented a talk at Python Conference Limerick 2020 entitled «Trees for structure and support in Python».
Tree data structures are pervasive in computing, they enable us to organise information in a natural hierarchical fashion that can be very effective, as well as being convenient and intuitive. Python does not provide a built-in tree object for general use, but it’s not difficult create trees in Python. This talk presents some of the ways of constructing trees in Python, and examines a selection of some of the many applications of trees, including their uses in GUIs, data management, spatial partitioning, and decision analysis. We look at various interesting tree modules and applications in the wider Python ecosystem, and beyond. Finally, the talk introduces the presenter’s own Python package «vntree», examines some of its features, and demonstrates how it can be used to provide structure and support for various applications.