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Python Programming Patterns (Paperback)

by Thomas W. Christopher (Author)

3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Python isn't just a tool for creating short Web scripts and simple prototypes: its advantages are equally compelling in large-scale development. In this book, Thomas Christopher shows developers the best ways to write large programs with Python, introducing powerful design patterns that deliver unprecedented levels of robustness, scalability, and reuse. Python Programming Patterns teaches both the Python programming language and how to "program in the large" in Python, using object-oriented techniques. Thomas Christopher demonstrates how to write Python code that leverages "programming-in-the-large" software structuring techniques, including modularization, toolkits, frameworks, abstract data types, and especially object-orientation. He presents more than 20 powerful object-oriented design patterns for Python, including creational, structural, and behavior patterns. The book includes detailed coverage of key topics such as persistence, concurrent programming, and metaprogramming (Python's term for reflection or introspection). Christopher also presents useful functional programming techniques, showing how to combine them with other techniques to make them even more valuable. For every enterprise developer who wants to use Python.

From the Back Cover

The real-world guide to enterprise-class Python development!

Enterprise development with Python!
20+ object-oriented patterns for large-scale Python development
Maximizing scalability, robustness, and reuse
Leveraging modularization, toolkits, frameworks, metaprogramming, and more

Python isn't just a tool for creating short Web scripts and simple prototypes: its advantages are equally compelling in large-scale development. In Python Programming Patterns, Thomas Christopher shows developers the best ways to write large programs with Python, introducing powerful design patterns that deliver unprecedented levels of robustness, scalability, and reuse. Christopher teaches both the Python programming language and how to "program in the large" with Python, using objects, modularization, toolkits, frameworks, and other powerful tools and techniques.

20+ proven object-oriented patterns for large-scale Python development: creational, structural, and behavioral
Leverage the skills you've mastered in other object-oriented languages
Design Python systems for maximum reuse
Create cleaner, more comprehensible software systems
Make the most of persistence, concurrent programming, functional programming, and metaprogramming
Includes extensive working code and meaningful examples

If you've ever thought it would be great to use Python in real enterprise development, you're about to learn how—with Python Programming Patterns!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR (October 23, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0130409561
ISBN-13: 978-0130409560
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.8 x 1.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds

Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #359,108 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#78 in Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > Languages & Tools > Python

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(4)

Average Customer Review

3.0 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this book sight unseen, December 19, 2001

By	Stephen Ferg (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

I'm a Python programmer who bought this book hoping for something that would describe how to implement object-oriented design patterns in Python. I was very disappointed.

First of all, I think the title of the book is misleading. This book is mostly an introduction to the Python language, not an introduction to design patterns in Python. It really doesn't have much discussion about design patterns outside of Chapter 5, which is devoted to the topic. And frankly, as an introduction to Python, it doesn't look that impressive.

Second, I think the writing is just poor. The author simply doesn't explain things very clearly. I tried to read chapter 5 on design patterns and came away with the impression that I was just reading gobbledy-gook.

So take this as one person's opinion, and nothing more. My background may be different from yours, and what looked like gobbledy-gook to me may be crystal-clear to you. But my advice is this: Do NOT buy this book sight unseen. If you're thinking of purchasing it, find a copy somewhere and look at it carefully before you buy it.

If you're looking for books to learn Python from, I recommend "The Quick Python Book" by Harms & McDonald, and "Python Essential Reference" by David Beazley. The best introductory book on design patterns is "Design Patterns Explained" by Shalloway & Trott. The best URL for information about design patterns and Python is:
* http://www.thinkware.se/cgi-bin/thinki.cgi/PythonPatterns
especially the links for:
* Design Patterns in Python
* Design Patterns mit Python (German, but the code is Python)

Gordon Macmillan, one of the technical editors of the book, gives a good description of the book in a thread on comp.lang.python:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&threadm=Xns917F8DF4EC2C3gmcmhypernetcom%40199.171.54.215&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26group%3Dcomp.lang.python

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Python Engineering..., May 28, 2002

By	Steve Thompson "steve_thompson12" (Longmont, CO) - See all my reviews

Many of the reviewers here seem rightly disappointed that Python Programming Patterns is not a Design Patterns book rewritten with Python source examples. When I bought this I was expecting something similar, and was at first dismayed that PPP wasn't that book. But as I started to read through it, I realized that this was the first book I'd seen which actually focused on *Engineering* solid and comprehensive solutions in Python. If you want to know how to write a 'Hello Python' application, look elsewhere. For all the rest of us needing some insight into how best to apply Python to problems of any complexity, there is no more appropriate book out there.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Python Programming Techniques, March 4, 2002

By A Customer

This book definitely could use a different title as it sets an expectation level that is, admittedly, different from what readers familiar with programming patterns would mean by the term "patterns". This is moreso a book on techniques for programming Python effectively and less so a book on patterns per se. That said, there are many good things about this book, and those who actually *look* at the programming examples will see that patterns and the vocabulary of patterns (as defined in the "Gang of Four" book) are clearly evident throughout the book.

Here are a few positive points about the book:

1. It is one of the few books where a good number of the patterns are used in non-trivial examples instead of the abstract examples found in other patterns-related books, including the "Gang of Four" book.

2. It is one of the few books that addresses concurrency patterns, including excellent discussions on threading techniques and transactions.

3. It provides real details on how to address data structuring needs not supported directly by Python's intrinsic support for lists and dictionaries.

In conclusion, there is no doubt that this is not the "Hello, World" book and could benefit from a different title. However, if you are looking for real code examples that actually use patterns, this book might be one of the few places where you'll actually find what you are looking for.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I use the book quite often as a reference
Even though the book is light on true examination of the 20 object oriented patterns it contains, it is a great python book. Read more

Published on March 21, 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars I don't understand the confusion
Alot of discussion has focused on the title of the book. So, it's not a classic "design patterns" book but if you take a second to look at the table of contents you'll figure... Read more

Published on August 4, 2003 by Randall C. Rupp

1.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing
There is a need for a decent book on Python OOP and patterns, but this is not it. This book is simply a poor intro text with a some buzzwords slapped on the front cover. Read more

Published on April 24, 2002 by David M. Cook

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing book, disappointing author
I was disappointed in this book for essentially the same reasons as Stephen Ferg (see his review dated Dec. 19/2001). Read more

Published on April 3, 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars What the book is good at.
I keep Python Programming Patterns close so I can look up details of the Python language and the functions, objects, and methods in modules I use frequently. Read more

Published on March 1, 2002 by Thomas Christopher

1.0 out of 5 stars Difficult reading ...
It is interesting to note that the Mar. 1 review is by the author of the book, who fails to identify himself in the review and gives himself a 5 star rating. Read more

Published on February 7, 2002

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