Gerard Keating: Dataclasses: What Do They Do? Do They Do things? Let's Find Out!

Dataclasses: What Do They Do? Do They Do things? Let's Find Out! Gerard Keating Python’s dataclasses module has been in the standard library since 3.7, yet many Python developers still underuse it—or misuse it entirely. In my experience reviewing real-world codebases and mentoring developers, I’ve found that while dataclasses can make Python code cleaner, more maintainable, and more expressive, they're often misunderstood or overlooked. In this talk, I’ll take a deep dive into dataclasses. I’ll explain what they are, why you should be using them, and how they can dramatically improve your Python code. I’ll walk through practical examples, clear up common misconceptions, and show how dataclasses can replace repetitive boilerplate with elegant, readable structures. Along the way, I’ll also explore some of the other relatively new Python features that make dataclasses work and show how they can be useful in your own code too. I’ll wrap up with a look at where dataclasses fit in alongside tools like attrs and pydantic. If you write Python and you’re not using dataclasses—or not sure if you’re using them well—this talk is for you. Talk room 1 (400 people) Sun 4:15 pm - 4:45 pm