Python in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))

Book Description

This book offers Python programmers one place to look when they need help remembering or deciphering the syntax of this open source language and its many powerful but scantily documented modules. This comprehensive reference guide makes it easy to look up the most frequently needed information--not just about the Python language itself, but also the most frequently used parts of the standard library and the most important third-party extensions.

Ask any Python aficionado and you'll hear that Python programmers have it all: an elegant object-oriented language with readable and maintainable syntax, that allows for easy integration with components in C, C++, Java, or C#, and an enormous collection of precoded standard library and third-party extension modules. Moreover, Python is easy to learn, yet powerful enough to take on the most ambitious programming challenges. But what Python programmers used to lack is a concise and clear reference resource, with the appropriate measure of guidance in how best to use Python's great power. Python in a Nutshell fills this need.

Python in a Nutshell, Second Edition covers more than the language itself; it also deals with the most frequently used parts of the standard library, and the most popular and important third party extensions. Revised and expanded for Python 2.5, this book now contains the gory details of Python's new subprocess module and breaking news about Microsoft's new IronPython project. Our "Nutshell" format fits Python perfectly by presenting the highlights of the most important modules and functions in its standard library, which cover over 90% of your practical programming needs. This book includes:

A fast-paced tutorial on the syntax of the Python language
An explanation of object-oriented programming in Python
Coverage of iterators, generators, exceptions, modules, packages, strings, and regular expressions
A quick reference for Python's built-in types and functions and key modules
Reference material on important third-party extensions, such as Numeric and Tkinter
Information about extending and embedding Python

Python in a Nutshell provides a solid, no-nonsense quick reference to information that programmers rely on the most. This book will immediately earn its place in any Python programmer's library.

Praise for the First Edition:

"In a nutshell, Python in a Nutshell serves one primary goal: to act as an immediately accessible goal for the Python language. True, you can get most of the same core information that is presented within the covers of this volume online, but this will invariably be broken into multiple files, and in all likelihood lacking the examples or the exact syntax description necessary to truly understand a command."
--Richard Cobbett, Linux Format

"O'Reilly has several good books, of which Python in a Nutshell by Alex Martelli is probably the best for giving you some idea of what Python is about and how to do useful things with it."
--Jerry Pournelle, Byte Magazine

Customer Reviews:

Great python reference..........2007-02-19

Python in a Nutshell is a excellent reference book, all python programmer must have one in the desk.
The online documentation for the python language is good, but some times is difficult to search for a feature of the language, in this book is easy to find anything about python.
This book complements perfectly the official library and language references, and covers almost everything you will ever need.

I Learn python with this book, but i only recommend the book for people with knowledge of other programming language, if you are new in programming and wants to learn python this book is not good for you (try Learning python by David Ascher and Mark Lutz), if you already have programming skills this is the perfect book for learn python.

The author explain the language in a very simple way with good examples, and don't wast time explaining the basics of programming, the book starts with a introduction to the python language, in chapter 2 the author explain the installation of various python interpreters, from chapter 4 to 9 the author explain the core of the python language, in the rest of the book the author cover the python library and extensions modules, network and web programming with python and in the last section the author talk about the various ways of embedding and extending the python language, in my opinion the book is well written and very easy to read.

I highly recommend Python in a Nutshell, for all programmers who wants to start coding in python, and for all python programmers as a language reference.

A fine quick reference which should be on every Python programmer's desk........2006-11-05

Alex Martelli's PYTHON IN A NUTSHELL: A DESKTOP QUICK REFERENCE offers Python programmers one-stop reference shopping for any quick consultation. Project details blend a quick tutorial on syntax and explanations of Python programming basics with coverage of exceptions, modules, strings and more for all Python's built-ins and key functions. A fine quick reference which should be on every Python programmer's desk.

From zero to Pythonista in less than 700 pages.......2006-10-15

First, one caveat: before reading this book, get a feeling for Python from the official tutorial, and some of the excellent tutorials and book available online (e.g., parts of "Dive into Python"). The greater the experience you have with other languages, the shorter the warm-up period. Then, buy this book. The chapters on the language description and OOP are models of clarity and brevity, in any book/reference and any language. All the other chapters are extremely useful too. This book complements perfectly the official library and language references, and covers almost everything you will ever need. It truly is the ideal reference book, and an incredible value for the money. I just hope that Alex Martelli will keep future editions below 700 pages while adding material on other GUI frameworks and PyPy.

Just what I needed.......2006-08-21

Well organized comprehensive desk reference. Can serve as an introduction to Python for a reader willing to do some heavy lifting.

An excellent reference book for Python .......2006-08-11

Never got the 1st ed. so I got the 2nd ed. as soon as it came out last month (yes, I've been waiting for it :-D). I have to say I am not a Python expert but have been using C and other programming languages for years. I was looking for a book which can help me learn Python and also can be used as a reference. Now I am very happy I found it and it reaches my expectation. It's a solid book with 690+ pages full of everything I need to know about Python. Highly recommended !

Average customer rating:

Too many errors - wait for the second edition, if it ever comes
An Excellent At-Your-Fingers Quick Reference
Ruby In A Nutshell
Slightly dated (1st printing) but good "quick" reference.
I'd skip this one.

Ruby In A Nutshell
Yukihiro Matsumoto
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596002149

Book Description

Ruby is an absolutely pure object-oriented scripting language written in C and designed with Perl and Python capabilities in mind. While its roots are in Japan, Ruby is slowly but surely gaining ground in the US. The goal of Yukihiro Matsumoto, creator of Ruby and author of this book, is to incorporate the strengths of languages like Perl, Python, Lisp and Smalltalk. Ruby is a genuine attempt to combine the best of everything in the scripting world. Since 1993, Ruby mailing lists have been established, Web pages have formed, and a community has grown around it. The language itself is very good at text processing and is notable for its broad object orientation. Ruby is portable and runs under GNU/Linux (and other Unices) as well as DOS, MS Windows and Mac. With Ruby in a Nutshell, Matsumoto offers a practical reference to the features of this new language including the command-line options, syntax, built-in variables, functions, and many commonly used classes and modules. This guide covers the current stable version of Ruby (1.6), yet is applicable to the development version 1.7 and the next planned stable version 1.8. You will find a thorough description of Ruby's language syntax, and a description of the core functionality built into the standard Ruby interpreter, which has more than 800 built-in methods in 42 classes and modules. Ruby finds its power through its built-in libraries, and this handy volume take you through the many useful libraries that come with the standard Ruby distribution--from network access via HTTP and CGI programming, to data persistence using the DBM library. This book concludes with coverage of the unique tools that come with Ruby, including the debugger, profiler, and irb (or interactive ruby.) Find out how Ruby combines the strengths of other languages, and why it has captured the interest of so many open source programmers. As part of the successful "in a nutshell" series of books from O'Reilly & Associates, Ruby in a Nutshell is for readers who want a single desktop reference for all their needs.

Customer Reviews:

Too many errors - wait for the second edition, if it ever comes.......2007-03-03

I've lost track of the number of times in the first two chapters where I either read a sentence that had no clear meaning, or where I saw an example that was just plain incorrect.

Page 12: "A symbol is an object corresponding to an identifier or variable." Uh, what? That's the complete explanation for this language construct.

Page 64: "arr.slice(n, len) Deletes the partial string specified and returns it." Followed by an example obviously copied from String::slice on page 54, which has the exact same example code except using 's' instead of 'a'. But page 64 is supposed to be describing arrays, not strings, so the description and example are just plain wrong.

It goes on and on. I had high hopes for this book given my past experience with O'Reilly Nutshell books, but this book is just not ready to go to print yet, and obviously has been very poorly proofread. Sadly it's been printed and it's out there in the world, so your best bet is to just avoid it until O'Reilly publishes a 2nd edition that fixes all of these mistakes.

An Excellent At-Your-Fingers Quick Reference.......2005-12-14

There isn't much in-depth knowledge I can impart based on this book. It fulfills its demanded function as "A Desktop Quick Reference". It provides a quick reference to the core language features and APIs in a succinct way. On the fly, this book is a great reference. If you are going to be carrying around a reference for Ruby, this should be it. Its small size does not deter it from being full of succinct information. Do not buy this if you are looking for a tutorial-style introduction to Ruby. (In that case, see Programming Ruby by Dave Thomas). If you are looking for a quick reference to this fun programming language, however, this book is a great choice!

Ruby In A Nutshell.......2005-09-02

This book is very much a brief reference for Ruby -- it is consistent with the general philosophy of the nutshell series. Don't expect to learn ruby from this book even if you are already an experienced programmer. It is strictly a reference for those who need a quick reminder of the syntax.

Coverage of semantics is very limited and examples are few and far between.

Slightly dated (1st printing) but good "quick" reference........2004-10-15

Forgotten the name of the libarary that does directory listings? Need to know the method of the IMAP libarary? This is the book for that. Full documentation, look elsewhere, but as a handy guide to keep on your desk. Not a beginners learn to code Ruby book, but a beginners and intermediates quick look up the method book. Learning Ruby? Get this _AND_ a beginner tutorial book. It will speed up your learning curve.

I'd skip this one........2004-03-26

The first couple of chapters are a good, concise reference to the core language, but the library reference is too stark-- most methods seem to have only one or two lines for description. Since this library reference is the bulk of the book, I don't think it's a good buy.

Book Description

MySQL is the world's most popular open source database. MySQL is designed for speed, power, and flexibility in mission-critical, heavy-use environments and modest applications as well. It's also surprisingly rich in features. If you're a database administrator or programmer you probably love the myriad of things MySQL can do, but sometimes wish there wasn't such a myriad of things to remember. With MySQL in a Nutshell by your keyboard, you can drill down into the full depth of MySQL's capabilities quickly and easily. MySQL in a Nutshell is the indispensable desktop reference to all MySQL functions. Programming language APIs for PHP, Perl, and C are covered, as well as all the popular MySQL utilities. This invaluable resource clearly documents the details that experienced users need to take full advantage of this powerful database management system. Better yet, this wealth of information is packed into the concise, comprehensive, and extraordinarily easy-to-use format for which the in a Nutshell guides are renowned. In addition to providing a thorough reference to MySQL statements and functions, the administrative utilities, and the most popular APIs, MySQL in a Nutshell includes several tutorial chapters to help newcomers get started. Moreover, each chapter covering an API begins with a brief tutorial so that, regardless of your level of experience in any given area, you will be able to understand and master unfamiliar territory. MySQL in a Nutshell distills all the vital MySQL details you need on a daily basis into one convenient, well-organized book. It will save you hundreds of hours of tedious research or trial and error and put the facts you need to truly tap MySQL's capabilities at your fingertips.

Customer Reviews:

It does not cover MySQL 5 or later........2007-06-08

It's a great reference but dated. If I had known that it only covers through version 4, I would not have purchased it.

MySQL and how to use it effectively!.......2006-01-06

The book is "A Desktop Quick Reference" just as billed on the cover. It is explicitly MySQL-centric and doesn't stray from that core message. It is extremely up-to-date considering the rapidity of movement in MySQL development progress.

I feel that its author, Russell Dyer is the kind of person who is easy to talk to and immediately be comfortable with based on his style and presentation in this book.

The content of this book is very well organized in keeping with the finest traditions at O'Reilly & Associates. There is an installation guide, tutorial, SQL syntax reference, MySQL built-in functions section(s), command-line utilities reference and programming languages API references for PERL, PHP and C. These API references demonstrate commonplace MySQL usage through clear, easy-to-read examples that make good sense.

It is a very comprehensive text that reads as easily as a favorite novel yet is concise enough to be your first "go-to" on MySQL issues you may face day-in and day-out. It is truly the "most advanced kingfisher" (cover animal) on the topic and, like the Pied kingfisher, it is lightweight and demonstrates keenly honed survival skills.

I use MySQL daily and I find it very useful and enjoyable. I don't want to become an SQL guru or even a DBA, as a programmer, I enjoy having MySQL In A Nutshell close at hand so that I can focus on writing code. Thank you Mr. Dyer (and the folks at O'Reilly) for a job well-done! I heartily recommend it to everyone using MySQL. The convenience of this publication clearly outweighs its cost. Newcomers and RDBMS "old-timers" will appreciate this book equally.

Another Solid Nutshell Book.......2005-05-17

Ah, "Nutshell" books - you gotta love `em. Or maybe you don't. I won't get into the pros and cons of online documentation versus books because this subject has been rehashed ad infinitum. Truth is, there are pros and cons for both, and we each have our own reasons for our own preferences.
That being said, if you like book documentation - and "Nutshell" books in particular - then you will like this book. I happen to think it is a good idea to tear yourself away from the keyboard/screen every once in awhile, and the "Nutshell" books give you a good reason for doing so.
I'm not a SQL expert, so I liked the tutorial-flavored introductions at the beginning of each chapter, followed by the conversational tone of the clear and concise examples. I did not have this book when I first started programming using MySQL, and that's too bad because it could have saved me a lot of wasted time with its explanations of some of the more nefarious "gotchas" of the language.
I have but one criticism and one suggestion:
Criticism: The following APIs are covered at the end of the book: Perl, PHP, and C. I can see leaving out COBOL and Lisp (if there are even APIs for these languages), but Java? Granted, the Java interface to MySQL is well-documented in many places, but if you are discussing the *major* programming language APIs to MySQL then you should do just that.
Suggestion: The beginning of the book provides an introduction to MySQL via command-line instructions. I can see doing this, even though no one interacts with databases through the command line. What I think would be even more useful would be a brief discussion of the two tools that everyone does use: MySQL Administrator and MySQL Query Browser. A couple of chapters (along with some screen shots) of what they are, why we need them, where to get them, and how to use them would really make this book perfect. (If you don't forget that Java API chapter!)

you need a background in SQL.......2005-05-09

Well the book certainly seems to cover MySQL's features quite comprehensively. But, as it is a reference manual, it does not attempt to teach you MySQL or the theory of relational databases. For a given MySQL command, the book's explanation is succinct and useful. Provided you already have a background in the area. Much of the book's discussion is probably already available in equivalent form in the online help. But hardcopy is nice to have.

Going through the functions, what you might appreciate about MySQL is that many of these are generic SQL functions. If you come from any other SQL implementation, your background will be relevant to much of the book.

Python Standard Library (Nutshell Handbooks)

Average customer rating:

Has been superceeded
One of the less useful books on Python, for me.
Interesting, but not necessary
Nice Supplemental Text
Good guide but not really a reference

Python Standard Library (Nutshell Handbooks)
Fredrik Lundh
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596000960

Amazon.com

Ideal for any working Python developer, Fredrik Lundh's Python Standard Library provides an excellent tour of some of the most important modules in today's Python 2.0 standard. Mixing sample code and plenty of expert advice, this title will be indispensable for programmers.

The book presents sample script code--written by a frequent contributor to Python newsgroups--for almost 200 of the built-in modules in Python 2.0 and shows how to solve common programming problems in Python. Instead of a function-based reference, you get sample scripts for a wide variety of solutions centering on different Python modules.

Early sections look at core modules for working with the operating system, math, and strings, among other functions. Material on Python's excellent support for files and directories will help you master the file system. Explanations of various encryption schemes will let you add security to your Python scripts.

Getting Python to multitask with multiple threads comes next, along with getting Python programs to communicate using pipes and signals. After the sample scripts for pickling Python objects to and from files, the book delves into modules that are geared toward today's Internet. First, there's coverage of Python's support for XML, HTML, and SGML, followed by a discussion of its extensive networking support for low-level sockets to high-level Internet protocols, including e-mail and FTP. Sample scripts for e-mail will be really useful for any Python programmer.

Later chapters provide coverage of internationalization support in Python and its support for multimedia. The book closes with material on platform-specific modules (which are specific to Unix and/or Windows) as well as modules that are obsolete but necessary to understanding legacy Python code.

There's a lot of expertise on display in Python Standard Library. The code does much of the talking in this example-packed text, which is sure to earn its place on any working Python programmer's bookshelf. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

Introduction to the Python 2.0 standard modules
Core modules (including modules for operating system functions, string, math, time, and garbage collection)
File and directory modules
Encryption and security modules
Threads, processes, pipes, and signals in Python
Persisting Python objects (marshalling and pickling objects)
Python modules for XML, HTML, and SGML
Modules for e-mail and news support
Internet programming with Python (including sockets, a chat example, FTP, SMTP, IMAP, POP, and Telnet)
Internationalization support
Modules for multimedia support (image and sound files)
Data storage in Python (with shelves)
Python tools
Platform-specific modules (including Unix- and Windows-specific modules)
Miscellaneous and legacy Python modules

Book Description

Python Standard Library is an essential guide for serious Python programmers. Python is a modular language that imports most useful operations from the standard library (basic support modules; operating system interfaces; network protocols; file formats; data conversions; threads and processes; and data storage). You can't really program in Python without using it. In this book, author Fredrik Lundh, creator of the Python Imaging Library (PIL), delivers tested, accurate documentation of all the modules in the Python Standard Library, along with over 300 annotated example scripts using the modules. Python Standard Library renders this valuable information in a clean, easy-to-read format, yet doesn't talk down to readers. This accurate and complete reference documentation is for the Python programmer who wants the facts and little else. The book is based on the author's work with the Python newsgroup: he reviewed more than 2500 questions and answers to that newsgroup in order to make sure the book covered what Python users really wanted to know. An earlier version of this book has been available electronically for over a year, so the material has been tested by Python programmers in real-life applications. This version of Python Standard Library covers all the new modules and related information for Python 2.0, the first new major release of Python in four years.

Customer Reviews:

Has been superceeded.......2006-01-26

I bought this book in 2004 when I was just starting to learn Python. I never once used it. Its not a bad book, just less useful now than in 2001.

The book covers Python 2.0. Anything before 2.2 for any Python book is probably not worth the trouble in 2006 and beyond.

When looking for information about a Python module I look in Alex Martelli's Nutshell book(2.2) and the go to the online Library Reference. The nutshell is good for background and examples and the Library Reference brings things up to 2.4.

If I am not quite sure what I am looking for then the Python Cookbook (2nd edition) is the most help.

Mark Pilgram's Dive into Python is a great, in-depth look at some of the more useful standard library modules.

I hope Alex Marelli updates his Nutsehell book for 2.4.

There are other good books for learning Python but the Nutshell(O'Reilly), Cookbook(O' Reilly), Library Reference(python.org), and Dive into Python(online or an Apress book) do the best job of covering the standard library,

One of the less useful books on Python, for me........2002-02-13

I am a relatively new programmer, who has used only Python and PHP to any significant extent, so ...

I have Python Essential Reference (1st. edition) and this book side-by-side on my shelf at work. I use Python Essential Reference and the online module documentation almost equally, and I almost never pick up this book.

Interesting, but not necessary.......2001-08-14

I was hoping for something along the lines of the book the "Standard C Library" book by P.J. Plauger. Unfortunately, this book is nowhere near as complete. Still, there are interesting and useful bits here and there, and it does serve as a decent supplement to the Python library book included in the distribution itself.

Nice Supplemental Text.......2001-06-29

This is a nice supplemental text for the Standard Library documentation. Sometimes you find yourself puzzled as to how a module is to be used, even after reading the documentation. This book provides a little extra help in that regards by providing concise examples that point you in the right direction.

I can't give it five stars because it is a little sparse for the price. Please be warned, the book is almost all code. Don't expect a great deal of explanatory text.

Good guide but not really a reference.......2001-06-22

This book isn't really a reference for the Python standard library - David Beazley's "Python Essential Reference" probably fills that gap better - but it is a very useful guide to what the library can be used for, with a comprehensive and motivated selection of code examples.

Average customer rating:

This book did not need to be written
Programming Python
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Outstanding Python Reference Top To Bottom
Could use some trimming

Programming Python (Nutshell Handbook)
Mark Lutz
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ASIN: 1565921976
Release Date: 2001-09-13

Amazon.com

Completely revised and improved, the second edition of Programming Python is an excellent compendium of material geared toward the more knowledgeable Python developer. It includes dozens of reusable scripts for common scripting tasks, and is one of the best available sources of information for this popular object-oriented scripting language.

In over 1,200 pages of material, this book offers an extremely comprehensive guide to Python development. Though his book is densely packed with information, Mark Lutz is a lively and witty writer whose focus is on getting things done using the natural strengths of the Python language. To that end, after an introduction and history of the language, the book shows how to use Python for performing automated tasks with files and directories (for example, for doing backups both locally and on Web servers). Not only will this book teach you more about Python, but it will also give you a library of code that you can use as is or adapt for your own projects.

The text covers every conceivable facet of Python and the language's support for networking, files and directories, task management, and even persistence (through its support for shelves). Complete Python programs show how to create e-mail clients, do reporting, and create Web applications (for an online errata database). Chapters on doing graphics programming in Python, as well as coverage of both built-in and custom data structures, are especially good. Because Python is often used for automating installations (in some Linux distributions, for instance), readers will appreciate the sample code and tips for using Python to create bulletproof installs.

Later sections show how get Python to work with C, Java (through JPython), and other languages. The book concludes with useful reference sections summarizing key aspects of Python, like its revision history, relationship to C++, and other material. There aren't many titles on Python, and fans of this up-and-coming language are lucky to have such a solid tutorial and guide available in Programming Python. Perfect for those with just a little previous exposure to the language, it's all you need to master Python in-depth and tap its considerable power for virtually any software project. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

Introduction to Python
Basic system scripts with Python (including file and directory tools)
Working with processes and threads
Pipes and signals
Sample scripts for system and Web utilities (including backing up files, program launching, replicating and managing directories)
Graphical user interface design in Python (including the Tkinter module)
Widgets and basic components
Layout options
Event handling
GUI examples (including a working text editor, image viewer, and clock)
Network scripting (sockets, FTP, and e-mail clients)
Server-side scripting
Sample server scripts for an online errata database
Python on the Internet (including Zope, JPython, and XML tools)
Databases and persistence in Python (including pickled objects and shelf files)
Custom and built-in data structures in Python
Text and string handling
C integration with Python (including the SWIG module)
Embedding Python calls within C
Hints for using Python in real projects
Reference to recent changes to Python
Python vs. C++ quick-start guide

Book Description

Programming Python is a classic O'Reilly Nutshell Handbook(R) describing the use of the Python programming/scripting language. Python is a popular scripting language freely available over the Net. Like Perl, Python is powerful, but easier to use than a traditional compiler language like C or C++. Although it is used mostly in UNIX environments (including Linux), it is available on Windows and Mac platforms as well. Unlike Perl, Python uses an object-oriented paradigm, making it a particularly useful scripting language for C++ programmers and the Windows/OLE and Mac environments. This book will serve the Python community as our Programming Perl book does for the Perl community.

This book complements the online reference material provided with the Python releases. It is endorsed by the creator of Python, Guido van Rossum, who wrote the foreword. The CD-ROM included with the book contains Python 1.3 binaries for most popular UNIX platforms, as well as Linux, Windows, NT, and the Mac. This book is the most comprehensive Python user material available from any publisher. It contains a number of running examples, presented simply at first but becoming more complex as new issues appear. Examples describing Graphical User Interface (GUI) programming use the Tk language. (Tk is usually considered a part of the Tcl scripting language, but is in fact usable with other scripting languages like Perl and Python.)

An appendix contains a separate short language tutorial.

Customer Reviews:

This book did not need to be written.......2007-09-21

The earlier edition of this book was already 1,300 pages; this one is 300 pages longer. It is by far the largest programming book I've ever owned. (Thankfully my company bought it for me.) It aims for comprehensiveness -- everything you could possibly want to know about Python. Comprehensiveness is not a virtue. When you want to learn English, and your reader already knows all the parts of speech, you don't hand him a dictionary and send him on his way. Comprehensiveness in a programming book is what the author does when he doesn't want to take the time to teach.

What I want to know, when I come to a new language, is how to solve common programming problems in a) the best way possible, using b) the language's native idioms. "Programming Python" absolutely strikes out on a). It doesn't even mention Twisted Python in the index, and only mentions Zope in the context of a web CMS -- even though Zope's generic interface library is used all over the place. As for b), it's hard to tell what the idioms in Python are when they're buried in hundreds of pages of unnecessary verbiage.

If you're an experienced programmer, your ordinary path will be to peruse a book like this, find some code snippets, learn some idioms, then start writing your own. From there, you're likely to turn to web documentation. So in this case, you need a book that's maybe a couple hundred pages long. If, on the other hand, you're a new programmer, you won't start with "Programming Python"; at most you'll start with "Learning Python." So whom does "Programming Python"'s bulk serve?

I've grown sour on programming books, the vast majority of which just do not know their audiences and suffer from atrocious pedagogy. "Programming Python" is one such book.

Programming Python.......2007-05-15

Very comprehensive. In fact it is too comprehensive that will take 3~4 month to finish reading this book. Beginners are not adviseble to buy this book yet if your understanding of Python is not firm yet.

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2007-03-07

Are you a novice or an advanced practitioner? If you are, then this book is for you. Author Mark Lutz, has done an outstanding job of writing a 3rd edition of a book that shows you the right way to code.

Lutz, begins with an overview of some of the main ideas behind Python. Then, the author explores the system-level interfaces in Python; as well as, their realistic applications. Next, he shows you how to build portable GUIs with Python. He also shows you how to use Python on the Internet. The author then shows you how to build GUIs for browsing databases, viewing data structures and performing calculations. Then, he looks at the interfaces available for mixing Python with programs written in C and C++. Finally, the author looks at some of the implications of Python's scripting code.

In this most excellent book shows you how to use application-level programming with Python. Perhaps more importantly, you'll gain enough information from this book to further explore the application domains introduced; as well as, to explore others.

Outstanding Python Reference Top To Bottom.......2007-03-02

'Programming Python' by Mark Lutz is an absolute gem of a book for anyone that is, wants, or has to learn Python. From the nuts and bolts to learning how to do the uber-exciting superstar stuff, this book has it all and then some. At around 1,550 page, this book is certainly not on the light side, but as I rarely do with books this larger, I cannot complain one bit. Solid writing, wonderfully laid out, and the kind of guide that can be described as "a course in a book", this is an exceptional reference for Python users and lovers the world over.

Can I possibly use any more adjectives to describe how much I praise this book?? If you use Python or want to become a better Python programmer, pick up this home run and you'll be rounding the bases in no time!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Could use some trimming.......2007-02-23

I'm now two thirds through this book, and while it covers a good deal of the standard library, I guess it could use some trimming.

In fact each topic is described first with short programs that show how to use the specific library in one or several chapters. Then when a topic has been well-covered one or several "real-world" programs are covered in subsequent chapters that in my opinion don't add new information and only contribute to the books heft. I think that if those chapters were cut the book could be only half in size and a much faster read.

But despite this I still think the book is worthwhile for the coverage of the libraries included in python

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Python in a Nutshell
Alex Martelli
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU2TT8

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