Python Essential Reference
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Book Overview
Python Essential Reference is the definitive reference guide to the Python programming language -- the one authoritative handbook that reliably untangles and explains both the core Python language and the most essential parts of the Python library. Designed for the professional programmer, the book is concise, to the point, and highly accessible. It also includes detailed information on the Python library and many advanced subjects that is not available in either the official Python documentation or any other single reference source. Thoroughly updated to reflect the significant new programming language features and library modules that have been introduced in Python 2.6 and Python 3, the fourth edition of Python Essential Reference is the definitive guide for programmers who need to modernize existing Python code or who are planning an eventual migration to Python 3. Programmers starting a new Python project will find detailed coverage of contemporary Python programming idioms. This fourth edition of Python Essential Reference features numerous improvements, additions, and updates: Coverage of new language features, libraries, and modules
Practical coverage of Python's more advanced features including generators, coroutines, closures, metaclasses, and decorators Expanded coverage of library modules related to concurrent programming including threads, subprocesses, and the new multiprocessing module Up-to-the-minute coverage of how to use Python 2.6's forward compatibility mode to evaluate code for Python 3 compatibility Improved organization for even faster answers and better usability Updates to reflect modern Python programming style and idioms Updated and improved example code Deep coverage of low-level system and networking library modules -- including options not covered in the standard documentation
Practical coverage of Python's more advanced features including generators, coroutines, closures, metaclasses, and decorators Expanded coverage of library modules related to concurrent programming including threads, subprocesses, and the new multiprocessing module Up-to-the-minute coverage of how to use Python 2.6's forward compatibility mode to evaluate code for Python 3 compatibility Improved organization for even faster answers and better usability Updates to reflect modern Python programming style and idioms Updated and improved example code Deep coverage of low-level system and networking library modules -- including options not covered in the standard documentation
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0672329786
ISBN13:9780672329784
Release Date:July 2009
Publisher:Addison-Wesley Professional
Length:717 Pages
Weight:1.91 lbs.
Dimensions:1.2" x 6.0" x 8.9"
Related Subjects
Computer Science Computers Computers & Technology Education & Reference Languages & Tools Linux Mathematics Networking Object-Oriented Design Object-Oriented Software Design Operating Systems Programming Languages Python Science & Math Software Software Design, Testing & EngineeringCustomer Reviews
4 ratings
A great Python resource
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
The author did a great job of including a ton of information in a clear and succinct reference. This is not a book that will teach a newbie all about programming. However, it is perfect for those that have at least some programming experience, whether in Python or some other language, and need a reference while coding in Python. For those new to the language who find themselves wondering "How do I do that in Python?", the first chapter includes a short (11 page) tutorial that demonstrates using: - Variables - Conditionals - File I/O - Strings - Lists & Tuples - Loops - Dictionaries - Functions - Classes - Exceptions - Modules The tutorial section is nice while getting up to speed with Python's syntax. The rest of the book goes into a bit more detail on rest of the Python's language features with the exception of some of the more inconspicuous ones. Most of the "raw" information in the book is available on python.org or other online resources, but with the book you get that same information filtered through the author's Python experience plus a lot of concise examples. I've found that what is not covered in this book is better answered by searching the related mailing list archives. As with the other New Riders programming books I own, this one is indexed well, making it easy to find what I am looking for. Also, the size of the book is small enough that it fits nicely in my briefcase and on my desktop. It appears that a lot of thought went into both the content of the book as well as the overall design of the reference, that's why I've given it the highest rating.
An excellent, concise Python reference
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Intending to familiarize myself with Python, I picked up a copy of O'Reilly's Programming Python a couple of years ago. After an initial attempt at going through the book, it has been on my book shelf since. It was simply not organized in a fashion that allowed me to quickly pick up the essentials of the language.As someone who was already familiar with C/C++ and Perl, but wanting to learn Python, the Python Essential Reference was exactly what I was looking for. Yes, most of the information contained in the book is available in the Python reference documents, but not collected in one place.In addition to adding examples from his own experience, David Beazley has done an excellent job in concisely summarizing the built-in features of the language as well as providing a nicely indexed library reference.While this book may not be immediately useful for someone looking specifically for a language tutorial, beginning or advanced Python programmers will get useful information from this book for much longer than most tutorial style books.Highly recommended.
Model programmer's reference for a clean, practical language
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
This excellent reference concisely covers the Python language and libraries. It is a model of what a reference should be: well-produced, tightly written, comprehensive without covering the obsolete or arcane. I even like the small type face.Peter Leopold's pompous 'official' review is off the mark in a variety of ways. For instance, the reason there aren't comparisons to other languages is precisely that this is _reference_, not advocacy or tutorial.Leopold's ill-tempered criticisms of the language itself are hardly relevant to the quality of the book; they also happen to be incorrect. Python _does_ support bytecode-only distribution. Python _is not_ a cleansed version of Perl. Python _is not_ only for quick and dirty projects.Python _does_ provide the abstraction mechanisms and libraries to solve serious problems in a maintainable way, as long as execution efficiency isn't paramount.
Superb reference
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
If you're familiar with Python programming, and want a beautifully presented, concise reference, this is the book for you.If you're new to Python, but experienced with C/C++ and perl, this book is a great way to pick up the Python sytax and libraries (love that Occam syntactic indenting!)Beginners should try something like O'Reilly's "Learning Python", and pick up "Python Essential Reference" once they're familiar with the basics.
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