| CARVIEW |
By Mark Lutz
First Edition
Pages: 902
ISBN 10: 1-56592-197-6 |
ISBN 13: 9781565921979
(Average of 1 Customer Reviews)
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This book describes how to use Python, an increasingly popular object- oriented scripting language. Endorsed by Python creator Guido van Rossum, it contains the most comprehensive user material available on Python and complements reference materials that accompany the software. Includes a CD-ROM with Python software for all major UNIX platforms, as well as Windows, NT, and the Mac.
Full Description
Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Colophon
Featured customer reviews
Programming Python Review, February 19 2001
The first in this series 'Learning python' is a better book than this one.
I am disappointed after buying this book. But this is definitely far far better than Programming Perl.
I feel this contains many holes. This is not complete. 900 sheets of paper not optimally used.
Programming Python Review, February 27 1999
Submitted by Peter Rupp [Respond | View]
I cannot recommend this author or the book: Why? The book
could be reduced by 50% if the author had left out many personal
opinions and issues. My job is to learn Python, not to read countless
comments on the Colorado winters. He keeps mentioning that
well "be getting to <some topic> later", but that later
never quite materializes. In the very first intro chapter
he shows the reader an example of a fairly complicated
python program (includes various classes, etc), but when
you type the thing in, and run it, it fails because you
haven't built the classes that it depends upon. Why did he
take up 2-3 pages demonstrating this type of program at this
early hour? He didn't get into discussing the very basics
of the language until half-way through the book (Strings, slices,
Dictionaries, lists). I learned about these in the first
half-hour reading Guido's (free) tutorial (in html format).
I felt cheated that he can charge $45.00 for this long-winded
nothing of a book. My advice: keep the $45.00, and read
Guido's Tutorial.
==pete==
Programming Python Review, January 09 1999
Submitted by Jay Glascoe [Respond | View]
pardon the previous stunning display of ignorance.
here: if you need a reference, and who doesn't <wink>
Python Pocket Reference, by Mark Lutz
Python Library Reference, by Guido van Rossum
Programming Python Review, January 08 1999
Submitted by Jay Glascoe, jglascoe@jay.giss.nasa.gov [Respond | View]
Fine book, fine author. Prior to reading Mark's book, I
had many difficulties with even the most basic OO concepts.
Not only did Mark teach me Python, he also made OOP as
crystalline as possible.
No, I don't use this book as a reference. This is not a reference book.
It's a big HERYOOJ tutorial/comedy/philosophical treatise.
Need a reference? Check out the _Python_Reference_Manual_
and the _Python_Library_Reference_ by Guido van Rossum, the
legend himself. These are freely available at
Python Documentation Index
BTW, I now use the old Python/C combination on a daily basis.
It's a big, big win all around. (<don suit="asbestos"> ever
tried Perl/C++ ? Holy cow, that was nasty! <doff> ;)
Programming Python Review, December 08 1998
Submitted by Aaron Watters [Respond | View]
Programming Python provides the most exhaustive
coverage of the Python language available anywhere.
A definite must for the serious Python programmer.
Programming Python Review, November 25 1998
Submitted by Thomas Herchenroeder [Respond | View]
Having a heart-felt sympathy for the Python programming
language and being an O'Reilly "Nutshell Series" enthusiast
for many years, owning 40+ 'animal' books, this was actually
the first one I was not quite happy with.
I felt that the concept of "looking the expert over the
shoulder" was taken too far. Picking up a new language is
mostly a time-restricted process for me, and I have entirely
given up on reading books linearly from cover to cover. I
mostly skim over pages to get to the information I need,
in order to get the current job done. Skipping the things I already
know and getting quickly to the point I need to learn next
is the main requirement.
As a consequence, I need such a book to have reference
qualities, which means basically to have all information
for any give language concept in one place, not spread over
many chapters. Having reference material in the appendices
is a nice attempt to compensate, but turns out to be
insufficient.
For the first time I was happy to have a german alternative
("Das Python-Buch"). It provides the
reference qualities I need, although it lacks the humorous
and delightful style of Mark Lutz' writing. Yes, being
systematically is not always as cheerful reading, but turns
out to be what it needs on a programmer's desktop: usable.
Programming Python Review, July 05 1998
Submitted by anonymous [Respond | View]
This is one of the few sources of PYTHON
information avaialble in print from.
To not have this book would be like a C
programmer that doesn't have the K&R; book.
Buy it and read it. You won't regret it.
Programming Python Review, May 13 1998
Submitted by anonymous [Respond | View]
This is a great book! Once I started reading it, it
was hard to stop. I recommend it to anybody who is
interested in Python or scripting languages in general.
Media reviews
"Despite the predictable reptile on its cover, Programming Python is not at all snake-like. It is, rather, a friendly, welcoming, bear-like book. Lutz begins with a 'teaser' chapter which shows off Python's features -- for those familiar with the language a taste of things to come; for newcomers a glimpse of its power and flexibility. This is followed by instructions on obtaining and installing Python (which is on the accompanying CDROM, along with lots of other goodies). "Part two works its way through the language, from the most basic features through to object-oriented programming. This is done through the construction first of some simple shell tools and then of an increasingly sophisticated menu system (all the examples are on the CDROM). The overall approach is not very systematic (boxes are used for side-trips and digressions), but the result is pretty comprehensive. I often find overly discursive explanations annoying, but that wasn't the case here. Lutz is continually provides new information and doesn't repeat himself, and I found myself learning even in sections I expected to be uninteresting. "Part three deals with advanced topics, applications of Python and its interaction with other systems. I read the chapters on persistent information, implementing objects (stacks, sets, and other data structures), and language and text processing. Other chapters cover graphical user interfaces (tk), extending Python in C, and embedding Python. There is also a brief look at Python's place in the software development cycle. Though an introductory tutorial is included as an appendix, Programming Python is not aimed at the newcomer to programming (and there is room for another book here, since Python would make a great teaching language). Nor, though a technical reference is provided as an appendix, is it particularly useful as a reference -- but then the online documentation for Python is pretty good. Programming Python is more a 'tour' of the language.
"If you are approaching Python from experience with other languages, then I recommend reading chapter two in the bookshop (and possibly the final section on the development cycle). That should give you enough of an idea of Python's features and Lutz's style to decide if Python and
Programming Python are for you. Those already using Python are, unless they are real wizards, sure to learn something new from Programming Python, if not about language features then about the idiom and ethos of the language." -- Disclaimer: I requested and received a review copy of Programming Python from O'Reilly & Associates, but I have no stake, financial or otherwise, in its success. -- ------------------------------------------------ Copyright (c) 1997 Danny Yee (danny@cs.su.oz.au) https://www.anatomy.su.oz.au/danny/book-reviews/ ------------------------------------------------
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