Programming Python

Already the industry standard for Python users, Programming Python from O'Reilly just got even better. This third edition has been updated to reflect current best practices and the abundance of changes introduced by the latest version of the language, Python 2.5.

Whether you're a novice or an advanced practitioner, you'll find this refreshed book more than lives up to its reputation. Programming Python, 3rd Edition, teaches you the right way to code. It explains Python language syntax and programming techniques in a clear and concise manner, with numerous examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms. By reading this comprehensive guide, you'll learn how to apply Python in real-world problem domains such as:

• GUI programming
• Internet scripting
• Parallel processing
• Database management
• Networked applications

Programming Python, Third Edition covers each of these target domains gradually, beginning with in-depth discussions of core concepts and then progressing toward complete programs. Large examples do appear, but only after you've learned enough to understand their techniques and code.

Along the way, you'll also learn how to use the Python language in realistically scaled programs--concepts such as Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and code reuse are recurring side themes throughout this text. If you're interested in Python programming, then this O'Reilly classic needs to be within arm's reach. The wealth of practical advice, snippets of code, and patterns of program design can all be put into use on a daily basis--making your life easier and more productive.

Reviews of the second edition:

"...about as comprehensive as any book can be."

--Dr. Dobb's Journal

"If the language had manuals, they would undoubtedly be the texts from O'Reilly...'Learning Python' and 'Programming Python' are definitive treatments."

--SD Times

If you've mastered Python's fundamentals, you're ready to start using it to get real work done. Programming Python will show you how, with in-depth tutorials on the language's primary application domains: system administration, GUIs, and the Web. You'll also explore how Python is used in databases, networking, front-end scripting layers, text processing, and more. This book focuses on commonly used tools and libraries to give you a comprehensive understanding of Pythons many roles in practical, real-world programming.

You'll learn language syntax and programming techniques in a clear and concise manner, with lots of examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms. Completely updated for version 3.x, Programming Python also delves into the language as a software development tool, with many code examples scaled specifically for that purpose.

Topics include:

• Quick Python tour: Build a simple demo that includes data representation, object-oriented programming, object persistence, GUIs, and website basics
• System programming: Explore system interface tools and techniques for command-line scripting, processing files and folders, running programs in parallel, and more
• GUI programming: Learn to use Pythons tkinter widget library
• Internet programming: Access client-side network protocols and email tools, use CGI scripts, and learn website implementation techniques
• More ways to apply Python: Implement data structures, parse text-based information, interface with databases, and extend and embed Python

Google and YouTube use Python because it's highly adaptable, easy to maintain, and allows for rapid development. If you want to write high-quality, efficient code that's easily integrated with other languages and tools, this hands-on book will help you be productive with Python quickly — whether you're new to programming or just new to Python. It's an easy-to-follow self-paced tutorial, based on author and Python expert Mark Lutz's popular training course.

Each chapter contains a stand-alone lesson on a key component of the language, and includes a unique Test Your Knowledge section with practical exercises and quizzes, so you can practice new skills and test your understanding as you go. You'll find lots of annotated examples and illustrations to help you get started with Python 3.0.

• Learn about Python's major built-in object types, such as numbers, lists, and dictionaries
• Create and process objects using Python statements, and learn Python's general syntax model
• Structure and reuse code using functions, Python's basic procedural tool
• Learn about Python modules: packages of statements, functions, and other tools, organized into larger components
• Discover Python's object-oriented programming tool for structuring code
• Learn about the exception-handling model, and development tools for writing larger programs
• Explore advanced Python tools including decorators, descriptors, metaclasses, and Unicode processing

Mark Lutz is the world leader in Python training, the author of Python's earliest and best-selling texts, and a pioneering figure in the Python community since 1992. He has been a software developer for 25 years, and is the author of O'Reilly's Programming Python, 3rd Edition and Python Pocket Reference, 3rd Edition.

• Chapter 1: Introducing Python
• Chapter 2: A Sneak Preview

• Chapter 3: System Tools
• Chapter 4: File and Directory Tools
• Chapter 5: Parallel System Tools
• Chapter 6: System Examples: Utilities
• Chapter 7: System Examples: Directories

• Chapter 8: Graphical User Interfaces
• Chapter 9: A Tkinter Tour, Part 1
• Chapter 10: A Tkinter Tour, Part 2
• Chapter 11: GUI Coding Techniques
• Chapter 12: Complete GUI Programs

• Chapter 13: Network Scripting
• Chapter 14: Client-Side Scripting
• Chapter 15: The PyMailGUI Client
• Chapter 16: Server-Side Scripting
• Chapter 17: The PyMailCGI Server
• Chapter 18: Advanced Internet Topics

• Chapter 19: Databases and Persistence
• Chapter 20: Data Structures
• Chapter 21: Text and Language

• Chapter 22: Extending Python
• Chapter 23: Embedding Python

• Chapter 24: Conclusion: Python and the Development Cycle