The hottest Scripting Substack posts right now

You can change Python's syntax using a special trick called '# coding:'. This lets you define how your code is read and interpreted.
By using custom codecs, you can make unusual text formats like JPEGs or even SQL valid in Python. It's a creative way to mix different languages within Python.
While it's fun to play with these features, it can also make your code really complicated and hard to debug. So, use this power wisely!

You can take a screenshot and instantly paste it as an image. This makes sharing images quicker and easier.
There's a simple script you can use to automate the process of taking and saving screenshots.
Using a hotkey can speed up your workflow, so you can take screenshots without interrupting what you're doing.

Argparse is a popular way to make Python scripts configurable, but it can be difficult to work with.
Argparse allows you to create positional parameters for your script, like names and ages.
Flags in argparse are parameters that are either on or off, while options have values attached to them.

An automated workflow using Auto1111's API can save time when generating XYZ comparison grids
The process involves creating a CSV file with parameters for each grid and using a script to feed these parameters to Auto1111 through the API
While this automated workflow can save time, it may not allow for immediate review and adjustments after each grid generation

The concept of creating fictive datasets using GPT-3 for testing ML models and educational purposes is explored in 'The Infinite Data Hallucinator'.
The 'Infinite Data Hallucinator' is a Jupyter notebook script that leverages the OpenAI API and pandas DataFrame to generate datasets based on a user-provided prompt.
While the generated datasets may have superficial coherence, they are not entirely realistic, and there are limitations due to token limits when creating larger datasets.

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Heredoc is a way to write multiple lines of code in a clean format for Unix scripts. It makes your scripts easier to read and manage.
You can use heredoc with commands like ssh, sftp, and cat to run multiple instructions at once. This saves time and reduces the complexity of your scripts.
With heredoc, you can also add comments and organize your code better. Plus, it allows for things like parameter substitution to make your scripts even more powerful.

The 'disown' command helps keep a running process alive even after you close your terminal session. It allows you to remove jobs from the job table so they won’t get stopped when the shell closes.
The 'at' command is used to schedule a job to run just once at a specific time. It's great for when you need to execute something later without using a cron job.
The 'batch' command runs jobs when the system's load is low. It’s useful for scheduling tasks without overloading the system, ensuring smoother operation.

Expect is a tool that helps automate tasks in the terminal by handling inputs automatically. This means you don't have to type everything manually when running programs or scripts.
You can use Expect for common tasks like logging into remote servers or transferring files easily. It saves time by doing these repetitive tasks for you.
Setting up Expect is straightforward; you just need to install it on your Unix-based system and write a simple script to get started automating your commands.

The `xargs` command helps to build and run new commands by passing input from one command to another. It's particularly useful when you want to handle lots of files at once.
You can use `xargs` with commands like `find` to perform specific actions on multiple files, making tasks like deleting or renaming files easier.
By using options like `-p` and `-n`, you can interactively confirm actions and control how many arguments are processed at a time, allowing for safer execution of commands.