Programming Python (Paperback)

by Mark Lutz (Author)
Key Phrases: active scripting, press enter, calculator program, System Examples, Sun Jun, Hello World (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
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

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review
"It's the industry standard publication on Python, but don't be put off if you're a beginner. It takes a lot of shelf space, but it's worth it!" .NET, February 2007

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1596 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; 3 edition (August 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596009259
• ISBN-13: 978-0596009250
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,061 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #12 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools > Python
  #53 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Software Design, Testing & Engineering > Object-Oriented Design

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars poorly organized introduction to python, November 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Programming Python (Paperback)

I thought this would be similar to Programming Perl, both a good introduction to the language *and* a decent reference. Unfortunately, it does neither task well.

It fails as a reference because 1) it is poorly organized: information on each concept (printing, for example), is scattered throughout the book; 2) the index is atrocious. There is no way to find the key description of any part of the language using the index, and I often find important concepts in the book that are not in the index.

The poor index, combined with the scattered organization, means I'm constantly frustrated when I want to look up some particular element of the language.

As an introduction, the book is OK. I would have liked to see some meatier code examples. As another reviewer mentioned, the examples are more about the syntax of the language than actual applications that you might learn from. This is a style point -- if you learn best from large chunks of example code, this is not the book for you.

Also, key modules (sys and math, for example) are barely mentioned.

--Pat / [e-mail]

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for the python programmer., November 4, 2008

By	Jeremiah D. Dodds - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The only thing I regret about buying this book is not getting the hardcover version - it's a huge, comprehensive book.

It's got the best section on GUI programming in python that I've seen so far, and all the examples given throughout the book are practical, useful thing - unlike a lot of other programming books that only give you proofs-of-concept.

If you're already comfortable with python, and are looking to solidify your knowledge of it to a great degree, this is the book for you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but needs updating, December 21, 2008

By	D. Rosario "linuxrules" (Staten Island, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Programming Python, Second Edition with CD (Paperback)

I can't really complain about the book, except that newer 2.5+ libraries are not covered (e.g. the "subprocess" module"). It isn't meant to be comprehensive in the sense that you won't learn everything, but it covers enough for one to become a good python programmer.