Programming Python focuses on advanced uses of the Python programming/scripting language, which has evolved from an emerging language of interest primarily to pioneers, to a widely accepted tool that traditional programmers use for real day-to-day development tasks. With Python, you can do almost anything you can do with C++; but Python is an interpreted language designed for rapid application development and deployment. Among other things, Python supports object-oriented programming; a remarkably simple, readable, and maintainable syntax; integration with C components; and a vast collection of pre-coded interfaces and utilities. As Python has grown to embrace developers on a number of different platforms (Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac), companies have taken notice and are adopting Python for their products. It has shown up animating the latest Star Wars movie, serving up maps and directories on the Internet, guiding users through Linux installations, testing chips and boards, managing Internet discussion forums, scripting online games, and even scripting wireless products. Programming Python is the most comprehensive resource for advanced Python programmers available today. Reviewed and endorsed by Python creator Guido van Rossum, who also provides the foreword, this book zeroes in on real-world Python applications. It's been updated for Python 2.0 and covers Internet scripting, systems programming, Tkinter GUIs, C integration domains, and new Python tools and applications. Among them: IDLE, JYthon, Active Scripting and COM extensions, Zope, PSP server pages, restricted execution mode, the HTMLgen and SWIG code generators, thread support, CGI and Internet protocol modules. Such applications are the heart and soul of this second edition. Veteran O'Reilly author Mark Lutz has included a platform-neutral CD-ROM with book examples and various Python-related packages, including the full Python 2.0 source code distribution.

Rating:

Rating:

Rating:

Programming Python, 2nd Edition Review,  July 13 2002
Submitted by Dominic Fox   [Respond | View]



This is a great book to have around, not as a reference but as a routemap for getting around various programming domains "the Python way". The most apt comparison I can think of is with Programming Perl, another great travel guide which is similarly frustrating if what you really want is a) to learn the language from scratch, or b) to look up some particular module or language feature. Programming Python should be seen primarily as an expository text: an extended gloss on the meaning of the word "Pythonic", and a boon and helpmeet to the working programmer who wants to use Python now to do stuff.


Programming Python, 2nd Edition Review,  June 12 2001
Submitted by Joakim Hove   [Respond | View]

This book was a great disappointment to me. My major gripes with the book

are:

1. Very windows centric, spesific platform issues could have been
   
   handled isolated in one chapter.
   
   
2. Extremely "wordy" - the page count could have
   
   been cut down to the half without reducing actual content. Most of the
   
   examples are introduced in an incremental fashion, with several different
   
   script version accomplishing approximately the same thing, all printed with
   
   source code and full display of user interaction.
   
   
3. The index is close to useless. There is no way
   
   to find an example demonstrating a particular Python feature by looking up
   
   a keyword in the index.
   
   
4. There is no explanation of Python concepts, only examples,
   
   examples, examples and examples ... In my opinion the point of examples is
   
   to demonstrate a concept - however in this book the examples seem to be the
   
   most important in their own right.
   
   
5. The chapters give only a very vague indication of which python
   
   concepts will be covered - or what would you expect to find in the chapters
   
   called Larger system examples I and Larger system examples
   
   II?.
   
   
   
   
   Maybe the problem for me is that the book was something completely
   
   different from what I expected. A more suitable title than "Programming
   
   Python" would have been "Python Examples", "Problem solving using Python"
   
   or something like that.
   
   Instead of bying this book I would recommend "Learning Python" by the same
   
   author, which is a really good book.
   
   

Programming Python, 2nd Edition Review,  April 27 2001
Submitted by Bob Tribit   [Respond | View]

The text is littered with many great examples ranging from GUI applications to embedding Python in C/C++ apps. In fact, so far it is one of the most authoritative sources on embedding and extending Python I have seen other than the Python source itself.

However, if you are looking for info on the basics of the language (i.e. control structures, syntax, etc.) forget about it. Get "Learning Python" instead, and keep "Programming Python" around for the real world meaty examples "Learning Python" lacks. Simply put don't assume this is the Python version of "Programming Perl", this is more along the lines of an "Advanced Python Programming" and a "Python Cookbook" text wrapped into one.


Programming Python, 2nd Edition Review,  March 30 2001
Submitted by Todd Warner   [Respond | View]

I really like this book. Let's start with that. Great examples, wonderfully written.

Two comments:

o Don't think of this as a reference and you'll do fine.

o Buy a learning book or whatnot if new to Python.

One BIG gripe:

o The index is really, really bad. Not comprehensive at all.

If not for the grip I would have given this at least 4 stars.

See larger cover
Browse within this book