Core Python Programming (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Wesley Chun (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0132269937 | ISBN-13: 978-0132269933 | Publication Date: September 28, 2006 | Edition: 2

Praise for Core Python Programming

 

"The long-awaited second edition of Wesley Chun's Core Python Programming proves to be well worth the wait—its deep and broad coverage and useful exercises will help readers learn and practice good Python."

—Alex Martelli, author of Python in a Nutshell and editor of Python Cookbook

 

"There has been lot of good buzz around Wesley Chun's Core Python Programming. It turns out that all the buzz is well earned. I think this is the best book currently available for learning Python. I would recommend Chun's book over Learning Python (O'Reilly), Programming Python (O'Reilly), or The Quick Python Book (Manning)."

—David Mertz, Ph.D., IBM DeveloperWorks®

 

"I have been doing a lot of research [on] Python for the past year and have seen a number of positive reviews of your book. The sentiment expressed confirms the opinion that Core Python Programming is now considered the standard introductory text."

—Richard Ozaki, Lockheed Martin

 

"Finally, a book good enough to be both a textbook and a reference on the Python language now exists."

—Michael Baxter, Linux Journal

 

"Very well written. It is the clearest, friendliest book I have come across yet for explaining Python, and putting it in a wider context. It does not presume a large amount of other experience. It does go into some important Python topics carefully and in depth. Unlike too many beginner books, it never condescends or tortures the reader with childish hide-and-seek prose games. [It] sticks to gaining a solid grasp of Python syntax and structure."

—http://python.org bookstore Web site

 

"[If ] I could only own one Python book, it would be Core Python Programming by Wesley Chun. This book manages to cover more topics in more depth than Learning Python but includes it all in one book that also more than adequately covers the core language. [If] you are in the market for just one book about Python, I recommend this book. You will enjoy reading it, including its wry programmer's wit. More importantly, you will learn Python. Even more importantly, you will find it invaluable in helping you in your day-to-day Python programming life. Well done, Mr. Chun!"

—Ron Stephens, Python Learning Foundation

 

"I think the best language for beginners is Python, without a doubt. My favorite book is Core Python Programming."

—s003apr, MP3Car.com Forums

 

"Personally, I really like Python. It's simple to learn, completely intuitive, amazingly flexible, and pretty darned fast. Python has only just started to claim mindshare in the Windows world, but look for it to start gaining lots of support as people discover it. To learn Python, I'd start with Core Python Programming by Wesley Chun."

—Bill Boswell, MCSE, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online

 

"If you learn well from books, I suggest Core Python Programming. It is by far the best I've found. I'm a Python newbie as well and in three months time I've been able to implement Python in projects at work (automating MSOffice, SQL DB stuff, etc.)."

—ptonman, Dev Shed Forums

 

"Python is simply a beautiful language. It's easy to learn, it's cross-platform, and it works. It has achieved many of the technical goals that Java strives for. A one-sentence description of Python would be: 'All other languages appear to have evolved over time--but Python was designed.' And it was designed well. Unfortunately, there aren't a large number of books for Python. The best one I've run across so far is Core Python Programming."

—Chris Timmons, C. R. Timmons Consulting

 

"If you like the Prentice Hall Core series, another good full-blown treatment to consider would be Core Python Programming. It addresses in elaborate concrete detail many practical topics that get little, if any, coverage in other books."

—Mitchell L Model, MLM Consulting

 

"Core Python Programming is an amazingly easy read! The liberal use of examples helps clarify some of the more subtle points of the language. And the comparisons to languages with which I'm already familiar (C/C++/Java) get you programming in record speed."

—Michael Santos, Ph.D., Green Hills Software

 

The Complete Developer's Guide to Python

• New to Python? The definitive guide to Python development for experienced programmers
• Covers core language features thoroughly, including those found in the latest Python releases—learn more than just the syntax!
• Learn advanced topics such as regular expressions, networking, multithreading, GUI, Web/CGI, and Python extensions
• Includes brand-new material on databases, Internet clients, Java/Jython, and Microsoft Office, plus Python 2.6 and 3
• Presents hundreds of code snippets, interactive examples, and practical exercises to strengthen your Python skills

Python is an agile, robust, expressive, fully object-oriented, extensible, and scalable programming language. It combines the power of compiled languages with the simplicity and rapid development of scripting languages. In Core Python Programming, Second Edition, leading Python developer and trainer Wesley Chun helps you learn Python quickly and comprehensively so that you can immediately succeed with any Python project.

 

Using practical code examples, Chun introduces all the fundamentals of Python programming: syntax, objects and memory management, data types, operators, files and I/O, functions, generators, error handling and exceptions, loops, iterators, functional programming, object-oriented programming and more. After you learn the core fundamentals of Python, he shows you what you can do with your new skills, delving into advanced topics, such as regular expressions, networking programming with sockets, multithreading, GUI development, Web/CGI programming and extending Python in C.

 

This edition reflects major enhancements in the Python 2.x series, including 2.6 and tips for migrating to 3. It contains new chapters on database and Internet client programming, plus coverage of many new topics, including new-style classes, Java and Jython, Microsoft Office (Win32 COM Client) programming, and much more.

• Learn professional Python style, best practices, and good programming habits
• Gain a deep understanding of Python's objects and memory model as well as its OOP features, including those found in Python's new-style classes
• Build more effective Web, CGI, Internet, and network and other client/server applications
• Learn how to develop your own GUI applications using Tkinter and other toolkits available for Python
• Improve the performance of your Python applications by writing extensions in C and other languages, or enhance I/O-bound applications by using multithreading
• Learn about Python's database API and how to use a variety of database systems with Python, including MySQL, Postgres, and SQLite
• Features appendices on Python 2.6 & 3, including tips on migrating to the next generation! 

Core Python Programming delivers

• Systematic, expert coverage of Python's core features
• Powerful insights for developing complex applications
• Easy-to-use tables and charts detailing Python modules, operators, functions, and methods
• Dozens of professional-quality code examples, from quick snippets to full-fledged applications

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Update for 2012

6:04PM PST, December 11, 2012

Unbelieveably 4 years have passed since my last post. Some of you saw the Amazon page for Core Python Applications Programming with a "3rd edition" tag. I'm sure you'll naturally assume that it's the 3rd ed. of Core Python Programming but may be confused by the name change. To clarify: it is... sort of.

Two things occurred which led us here: the 1st is a shortage of books on the market to help the intermediate Python developer. What do you do after you've learned Python? You may have read Dive into Python, Beginning Python, or Learning Python, and have written some basic tools/apps but have nowhere to turn other than dive deeply into specific topics w/books about game programming, databases, graphics/multimedia, GUIs, networking, etc.

If you want more than one skill you'd have to buy a book on every topic. This is overkill, esp. if you're only interested in expanding your skillset. In those cases you're not ready to dive that deep. You'll spend a lot, read a few chapters, then they'll collect dust (unless you're being paid or want to become an expert). This is the exact reason why I wrote "Part II" of Core Python Programming calling it "Advanced Topics". After spending a year (most of 2000) writing what I thought was the entire book, I asked myself, "Wait, I've just taught all these folks Python, but I didn't really show what they could build with it." Part II was written as a result.

Another thing that happened is that the book grew quite significantly. Originally 810 pages long, it bloomed to 1120 for the 2nd ed. With the new material for the 3rd ed., a massive tome would be difficult & expensive to publish plus would cause an unnecessary burden upon readers (unless getting an electronic edition). Thus I am pleased to announce that those chapters have been extracted to form their own book, Core Python Applications Programming!

The contents have been cleaned up and retrofitted w/Python 3 examples paired w/their 2.x friends as a hybrid to help you learn both 2.x & 3.x. You'll find that many chapters have new material including: NoSQL/non-relational databases featuring MongoDB, more Microsoft Office® examples using Outlook & PowerPoint (including the text-to-slide generator some of you have seen me use at conferences), interfacing w/Twitter, using Yahoo!Mail & Gmail to send/receive email, and even doing social media analysis w/Google+! There are also brand new chapters on Web framework development using Django, an introduction to cloud computing w/Google App Engine, and text processing w/CSV, JSON, and XML. The purpose is to provide comprehensive intros to but not go deep into any particular topic; please adjust any expectations appropriately. We hope you are as excited about the new book as we are!

The material making up "Part I" of the original book will take another couple of years to complete due to all the changes coming from Python 3 and not on the horizon at this time, so if you are a programmer completely new to Python, we still recommend the 2nd edition of Core Python Programming as the best place to go learn Python as quickly and as in-depth as possible. You'll get a great preview of Core Python Applications Programming there too! Also I look forward to meeting some of you at an upcoming conference or in one of my training courses!

Core Python Programming FAQs

1:24 AM PDT, October 30, 2008; last updated 9:17AM PST, December 10, 2012

Wow, I can't believe it's already been 2 years since the 2nd edition was published... thanks for all your support! I'm writing again because many of you have asked about a 3rd edition as well as Python 2.6+ & 3.x.

Q: Will there be a 3rd edition for Python 3.0?

A: I've already added sections on 3.x & 2.6+ to the newest printings, but did not update this book for 3.0 because: 1) if I made updates w/every release of Python, I would no longer be employed nor have a family, 2) as a programmer, I really don't want to put anything on paper (and sell it) for a ".0" release of any software, including Python, and 3) it generally takes several years between editions before there is enough material to warrant a reexploration of the manuscript. 3.x definitely qualifies, so really it's reason #2. Keep an eye out for something after 3.3 though.

Q: Is the book outdated now due to Python 2.6+ & 3.x?

A: No! Some of you who have met me in person or have heard me speak will know that my philosophy is to teach readers the core features of the language and not focus on minor features that come w/every release. (Chances are that you won't be using them anyway!) The book has been created especially to be version-independent. Any important version-specific gotchas are highlighted w/annotations (look for release number markers in the margins). Also in 2009, I added 2 new appendices that discuss 3.x and the role of the final 2.x releases (2.6-2.7).

Q: Why does the book have "a lot of mistakes in it," use thick paper, and have large fonts?

A: There are very few errors in the text now as all of the items on the Errata have been fixed in printings since 2009. The paper was thick only for the 1st edition, and the fonts are slightly larger than normal as it makes the manuscript easier and faster to read.

Q: How's the book selling?

A: Thanks goes to those of you who have made it a bestseller! The book has had 6 printings now and has already completely outsold the 1st book! Now the publisher has asked for a 3rd edition!

It's here!!

2:23 PM PDT, September 14, 2006, updated at 12:29 AM PDT, October 11, 2006

Thanks for tuning in to the Amazon page for Core Python Programming. I'm excited to bring you the latest incarnation of my book.  In it, you will find updates as major as the changes in Python itself from the 1st edition days of 2.0 (2001). The 2nd edition is expanded (300 new pages!) and updated through Python 2.5 (released about the same time as this book[!]), including confirmed functionality for future versions. Also added are new chapters of advanced material. As in the 1st edition, a plethora of exercises can be found at the end of every chapter to hammer the concepts home. At the moment, this is the most complete and up-to-date Python book on the market today.

The book's main focus is comprehensively teaching you the core of the Python language, much more than just its syntax (which you don't really need a book to learn, right?). Knowing more about how Python works under the covers, including the relationship between data objects and memory management, will make you a much more effective Python programmer coming out of the gate. The advanced topics chapters are meant as intros or "quick dives" into a variety of distinct subjects. If moving towards those specific areas of development, they are more than enough to get you pointed in the right direction. We would say that the book is 40% introductory, 40% intermediate (in-depth core Python material plus advanced topics chapters), and 20% reference -- it is not meant to be a substitute for a pure reference such as the Python Essential Reference or Python in a Nutshell.

The material in the book is very much of a community effort (just like Python)! I welcome all comments, suggestions, corrections, feedback, etc., as well as what new chapters to add to future editions. Go to the book's website to download the code or check out the errata. When new versions of Python are released, look there for supplementary material to augment your book, keeping it as up-to-date as possible! I also offer public and private Python training courses and seminars should you feel the need for a "live" experience. I have written the book in an accessible style, reading as if I was having a conversation w/you, or if I was delivering a lecture to you attending one of my courses. Enjoy!

From the Back Cover

Praise for Core Python Programming

 

"The long-awaited second edition of Wesley Chun's Core Python Programming proves to be well worth the wait–its deep and broad coverage and useful exercises will help readers learn and practice good Python."

–Alex Martelli, author of Python in a Nutshell and editor of Python Cookbook

 

"There has been lot of good buzz around Wesley Chun's Core Python Programming. It turns out that all the buzz is well earned. I think this is the best book currently available for learning Python. I would recommend Chun's book over Learning Python (O'Reilly), Programming Python (O'Reilly), or The Quick Python Book (Manning)."

–David Mertz, Ph.D., IBM DeveloperWorks®

 

"I have been doing a lot of research [on] Python for the past year and have seen a number of positive reviews of your book. The sentiment expressed confirms the opinion that Core Python Programming is now considered the standard introductory text."

–Richard Ozaki, Lockheed Martin

 

"Finally, a book good enough to be both a textbook and a reference on the Python language now exists."

–Michael Baxter, Linux Journal

 

"Very well written. It is the clearest, friendliest book I have come across yet for explaining Python, and putting it in a wider context. It does not presume a large amount of other experience. It does go into some important Python topics carefully and in depth. Unlike too many beginner books, it never condescends or tortures the reader with childish hide-and-seek prose games. [It] sticks to gaining a solid grasp of Python syntax and structure."

–http://python.org bookstore Web site

 

"[If ] I could only own one Python book, it would be Core Python Programming by Wesley Chun. This book manages to cover more topics in more depth than Learning Python but includes it all in one book that also more than adequately covers the core language. [If] you are in the market for just one book about Python, I recommend this book. You will enjoy reading it, including its wry programmer's wit. More importantly, you will learn Python. Even more importantly, you will find it invaluable in helping you in your day-to-day Python programming life. Well done, Mr. Chun!"

–Ron Stephens, Python Learning Foundation

 

"I think the best language for beginners is Python, without a doubt. My favorite book is Core Python Programming."

–s003apr, MP3Car.com Forums

 

"Personally, I really like Python. It's simple to learn, completely intuitive, amazingly flexible, and pretty darned fast. Python has only just started to claim mindshare in the Windows world, but look for it to start gaining lots of support as people discover it. To learn Python, I'd start with Core Python Programming by Wesley Chun."

–Bill Boswell, MCSE, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online

 

"If you learn well from books, I suggest Core Python Programming. It is by far the best I've found. I'm a Python newbie as well and in three months time I've been able to implement Python in projects at work (automating MSOffice, SQL DB stuff, etc.)."

–ptonman, Dev Shed Forums

 

"Python is simply a beautiful language. It's easy to learn, it's cross-platform, and it works. It has achieved many of the technical goals that Java strives for. A one-sentence description of Python would be: 'All other languages appear to have evolved over time--but Python was designed.' And it was designed well. Unfortunately, there aren't a large number of books for Python. The best one I've run across so far is Core Python Programming."

–Chris Timmons, C. R. Timmons Consulting

 

"If you like the Prentice Hall Core series, another good full-blown treatment to consider would be Core Python Programming. It addresses in elaborate concrete detail many practical topics that get little, if any, coverage in other books."

–Mitchell L Model, MLM Consulting

 

"Core Python Programming is an amazingly easy read! The liberal use of examples helps clarify some of the more subtle points of the language. And the comparisons to languages with which I'm already familiar (C/C++/Java) get you programming in record speed."

–Michael Santos, Ph.D., Green Hills Software

 

The Complete Developer's Guide to Python

• New to Python? The definitive guide to Python development for experienced programmers
• Covers core language features thoroughly, including those found in the latest Python releases–learn more than just the syntax!
• Learn advanced topics such as regular expressions, networking, multithreading, GUI, Web/CGI, and Python extensions
• Includes brand-new material on databases, Internet clients, Java/Jython, and Microsoft Office, plus Python 2.6 and 3
• Presents hundreds of code snippets, interactive examples, and practical exercises to strengthen your Python skills

Python is an agile, robust, expressive, fully object-oriented, extensible, and scalable programming language. It combines the power of compiled languages with the simplicity and rapid development of scripting languages. In Core Python Programming, Second Edition, leading Python developer and trainer Wesley Chun helps you learn Python quickly and comprehensively so that you can immediately succeed with any Python project.

 

Using practical code examples, Chun introduces all the fundamentals of Python programming: syntax, objects and memory management, data types, operators, files and I/O, functions, generators, error handling and exceptions, loops, iterators, functional programming, object-oriented programming and more. After you learn the core fundamentals of Python, he shows you what you can do with your new skills, delving into advanced topics, such as regular expressions, networking programming with sockets, multithreading, GUI development, Web/CGI programming and extending Python in C.

 

This edition reflects major enhancements in the Python 2.x series, including 2.6 and tips for migrating to 3. It contains new chapters on database and Internet client programming, plus coverage of many new topics, including new-style classes, Java and Jython, Microsoft Office (Win32 COM Client) programming, and much more.

• Learn professional Python style, best practices, and good programming habits
• Gain a deep understanding of Python's objects and memory model as well as its OOP features, including those found in Python's new-style classes
• Build more effective Web, CGI, Internet, and network and other client/server applications
• Learn how to develop your own GUI applications using Tkinter and other toolkits available for Python
• Improve the performance of your Python applications by writing extensions in C and other languages, or enhance I/O-bound applications by using multithreading
• Learn about Python's database API and how to use a variety of database systems with Python, including MySQL, Postgres, and SQLite
• Features appendices on Python 2.6 & 3, including tips on migrating to the next generation! 

Core Python Programming delivers

• Systematic, expert coverage of Python's core features
• Powerful insights for developing complex applications
• Easy-to-use tables and charts detailing Python modules, operators, functions, and methods
• Dozens of professional-quality code examples, from quick snippets to full-fledged applications

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1136 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 edition (September 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0132269937
• ISBN-13: 978-0132269933
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Languages & Tools > Python

More About the Author

WESLEY J. CHUN, MSCS, is author of Prentice Hall's bestseller, "Core Python Programming" (http://corepython.com), its video training course, "Python Fundamentals" (LiveLessons DVD), co-author of "Python Web Development with Django" (http://withdjango.com), and has written for Linux Journal, CNET, and InformIT. In addition to being a software architect and Developer Advocate at Google, he runs CyberWeb (http://cyberwebconsulting.com), a consulting business specializing in Python training and software engineering. He has over 25 years of programming, teaching, and writing experience, including more than a decade of Python. While at Yahoo!, he helped create Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! People Search using Python. He holds degrees in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Music from the University of California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for beginners, January 13, 2002

By 

Paul Ammann (New Fairfield, CT United) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Core Python Programming (Open Source Technology) (Paperback)

For the last few months I was developing in Perl. But I found myself very frustrated with the syntax, and the Perl books on the market did a so-so job on explaining how everything worked.

And then I came across this book. I had read a review about in the Linux Journal. In 2 days I "inhaled" 200+ pages of this book, about 7 chapters. To begin with, this book is easy to understand, has numerous examples to go long with the text, and does an excellent job in progessing through Python.

The first 400 pages cover syntax, style, functions, classes, modules, etc. If you've ever programmed in another language (C, C++, Java, Perl), Mr. Chun compares Python to each of them in simularities and differences. You should be pick up on these quite easily. The last part of the book in more advanced topics, which I found quite enjoyable.

I don't program in Perl anymore. After reading this book, I wonder why I didn't look at Python first. Aside from a book on Tkinter, this is the only book that I keep on my desk. It's great for teaching and learning, but makes a great reference book also.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book for beginning Python programmers, March 23, 2004

By 

Brian Maula "Brian" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Core Python Programming (Open Source Technology) (Paperback)

Definitely worth 5 stars. The book clearly explains its purpose, and the author makes his methodologies known in the beginning as to how he will approach teaching the language. His explanations are clear and concise, and it does not contradict the DOCS available on the Python web site. He's both humorous and informative, with a relaxed style of writing.

The code in itself is neatly organized, clearly explained, and overall, it works. He does cover a lot of Python basics, the majority of the book are Python basics. He also covers advanced topics such as network programming, extending Python through C/C++ modules, and multithreading. All of which are important, being able to write distributed applications, writing responsive programs, and being able to extend the language are all equally important. Python's power is clearly explained and logically thought-out in this book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn Python but are new to programming.

As a side note, I would also take extra time and check out the DOCS themselves. The author is good, but by no means perfect, supplement the book with the DOCS, it'll help you out a lot more. I have plans on writing more complicated web services using Python, and this book will remain beside me as both a reference and a guide when I'm lost.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I agree with the reader from Menlo Park, CA..., February 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Core Python Programming (Open Source Technology) (Paperback)

The author's writing style is very similar to Bruce Eckel's. Both authors present somewhat abstract concepts in a clear and concise way that makes reading their material enjoyable. I highly recommend this book for any novice programmer wanting to learn Python. Chun does a good job explaining OOP concepts, so if you only have experience with a procedural language (C, Pascal, etc.)don't worry. If you are a programming expert, purist, guru, or OOP king you may find this book a bit long and shallow.:)