Learning Python, 2nd Edition

✍ Scribed by Lutz, Mark;Ascher, David

• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 640
• Edition: 2nd edition
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Portable, powerful, and a breeze to use, Python is the popular open source object-oriented programming language used for both standalone programs and scripting applications. Python is considered easy to learn, but there's no quicker way to mastery of the language than learning from an expert teacher. This edition of "Learning Python" puts you in the hands of two expert teachers, Mark Lutz and David Ascher, whose friendly, well-structured prose has guided many a programmer to proficiency with the language. "Learning Python," Second Edition, offers programmers a comprehensive learning tool for Python and object-oriented programming. Thoroughly updated for the numerous language and class presentation changes that have taken place since the release of the first edition in 1999, this guide introduces the basic elements of the latest release of Python 2.3 and covers new features, such as list comprehensions, nested scopes, and iterators/generators. Beyond language features, this edition of "Learning Python" also includes new context for less-experienced programmers, including fresh overviews of object-oriented programming and dynamic typing, new discussions of program launch and configuration options, new coverage of documentation sources, and more. There are also new use cases throughout to make the application of language features more concrete. The first part of "Learning Python" gives programmers all the information they'll need to understand and construct programs in the Python language, including types, operators, statements, classes, functions, modules and exceptions. The authors then present more advanced material, showing how Python performs common tasks by offering real applications and the libraries available for those applications. Each chapter ends with a series of exercises that will test your Python skills and measure your understanding."Learning Python," Second Edition is a self-paced book that allows readers to focus on the core Python language in depth. As you work through the book, you'll gain a deep and complete understanding of the Python language that will help you to understand the larger application-level examples that you'll encounter on your own. If you're interested in learning Python--and want to do so quickly and efficiently--then "Learning Python," Second Edition is your best choice.

✦ Table of Contents

Main Page......Page 1
Table of content......Page 2
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Preface......Page 10
About This Second Edition......Page 11
Prerequisites......Page 13
This Book's Scope......Page 14
This Book's Style and Structure......Page 15
Book Updates......Page 18
Font Conventions......Page 19
About the Programs in This Book......Page 21
Using Code Examples......Page 22
How to Contact Us......Page 23
Acknowledgments......Page 24
Part I: Getting Started......Page 27
Chapter 1. A Python Q&A Session......Page 28
1.1 Why Do People Use Python?......Page 29
1.2 Is Python a Scripting Language?......Page 31
1.3 Okay, But What's the Downside?......Page 32
1.4 Who Uses Python Today?......Page 33
1.5 What Can I Do with Python?......Page 34
1.6 What Are Python's Technical Strengths?......Page 37
1.7 How Does Python Stack Up to Language X?......Page 41
Chapter 2. How Python Runs Programs......Page 42
2.1 Introducing the Python Interpreter......Page 43
2.2 Program Execution......Page 45
2.3 Execution Model Variations......Page 48
Chapter 3. How You Run Programs......Page 51
3.1 Interactive Coding......Page 52
3.2 System Command Lines and Files......Page 55
3.3 Clicking Windows File Icons......Page 58
3.4 Module Imports and Reloads......Page 61
3.5 The IDLE User Interface......Page 65
3.6 Other IDEs......Page 70
3.7 Embedding Calls......Page 71
3.8 Frozen Binary Executables......Page 72
3.9 Text Editor Launch Options......Page 73
3.10 Other Launch Options......Page 74
3.11 Future Possibilities?......Page 75
3.12 Which Option Should I Use?......Page 76
3.13 Part I Exercises......Page 77
Part II: Types and Operations......Page 79
Chapter 4. Numbers......Page 80
4.1 Python Program Structure......Page 81
4.2 Why Use Built-in Types?......Page 82
4.3 Numbers......Page 84
4.4 Python Expression Operators......Page 87
4.5 Numbers in Action......Page 91
4.6 The Dynamic Typing Interlude......Page 98
Chapter 5. Strings......Page 103
5.1 String Literals......Page 104
5.2 Strings in Action......Page 111
5.3 String Formatting......Page 116
5.4 String Methods......Page 119
5.5 General Type Categories......Page 124
Chapter 6. Lists and Dictionaries......Page 126
6.1 Lists......Page 127
6.2 Lists in Action......Page 129
6.3 Dictionaries......Page 133
6.4 Dictionaries in Action......Page 136
Chapter 7. Tuples, Files, and Everything Else......Page 143
7.1 Tuples......Page 144
7.2 Files......Page 147
7.3 Type Categories Revisited......Page 149
7.4 Object Generality......Page 150
7.5 References Versus Copies......Page 151
7.6 Comparisons, Equality, and Truth......Page 153
7.7 Python's Type Hierarchies......Page 156
7.8 Other Types in Python......Page 158
7.9 Built-in Type Gotchas......Page 159
7.10 Part II Exercises......Page 161
Part III: Statements and Syntax......Page 164
Chapter 8. Assignment, Expressions, and Print......Page 165
8.1 Assignment Statements......Page 167
8.2 Expression Statements......Page 173
8.3 Print Statements......Page 174
Chapter 9. if Tests......Page 177
9.1 if Statements......Page 178
9.2 Python Syntax Rules......Page 180
9.3 Truth Tests......Page 184
Chapter 10. while and for Loops......Page 187
10.1 while Loops......Page 188
10.2 break, continue, pass, and the Loop else......Page 190
10.3 for Loops......Page 194
10.4 Loop Variations......Page 198
Chapter 11. Documenting Python Code......Page 203
11.1 The Python Documentation Interlude......Page 204
11.2 Common Coding Gotchas......Page 215
11.3 Part III Exercises......Page 217
Part IV: Functions......Page 219
Chapter 12. Function Basics......Page 220
12.1 Why Use Functions?......Page 221
12.2 Coding Functions......Page 222
12.3 A First Example: Definitions and Calls......Page 225
12.4 A Second Example: Intersecting Sequences......Page 228
Chapter 13. Scopes and Arguments......Page 230
13.1 Scope Rules......Page 231
13.2 The global Statement......Page 235
13.3 Scopes and Nested Functions......Page 236
13.4 Passing Arguments......Page 239
13.5 Special Argument Matching Modes......Page 242
Chapter 14. Advanced Function Topics......Page 249
14.1 Anonymous Functions: lambda......Page 250
14.2 Applying Functions to Arguments......Page 255
14.3 Mapping Functions Over Sequences......Page 257
14.4 Functional Programming Tools......Page 258
14.5 List Comprehensions......Page 259
14.6 Generators and Iterators......Page 263
14.7 Function Design Concepts......Page 266
14.8 Function Gotchas......Page 268
14.9 Part IV Exercises......Page 271
Part V: Modules......Page 273
Chapter 15. Modules: The Big Picture......Page 274
15.1 Why Use Modules?......Page 275
15.2 Python Program Architecture......Page 276
15.3 How Imports Work......Page 279
Chapter 16. Module Coding Basics......Page 284
16.1 Module Creation......Page 285
16.2 Module Usage......Page 286
16.3 Module Namespaces......Page 289
16.4 Reloading Modules......Page 293
Chapter 17. Module Packages......Page 296
17.1 Package Import Basics......Page 297
17.2 Package Import Example......Page 301
17.3 Why Use Package Imports?......Page 303
17.4 A Tale of Three Systems......Page 304
Chapter 18. Advanced Module Topics......Page 306
18.1 Data Hiding in Modules......Page 307
18.2 Enabling Future Language Features......Page 308
18.3 Mixed Usage Modes: name and main......Page 309
18.4 Changing the Module Search Path......Page 310
18.5 The import as Extension......Page 311
18.6 Module Design Concepts......Page 312
18.7 Module Gotchas......Page 316
18.8 Part V Exercises......Page 321
Part VI: Classes and OOP......Page 323
Chapter 19. OOP: The Big Picture......Page 324
19.1 Why Use Classes?......Page 325
19.2 OOP from 30,000 Feet......Page 327
Chapter 20. Class Coding Basics......Page 333
20.1 Classes Generate Multiple Instance Objects......Page 334
20.2 Classes Are Customized by Inheritance......Page 337
20.3 Classes Can Intercept Python Operators......Page 340
Chapter 21. Class Coding Details......Page 342
21.1 The Class Statement......Page 343
21.2 Methods......Page 346
21.3 Inheritance......Page 348
21.4 Operator Overloading......Page 353
21.5 Namespaces: The Whole Story......Page 361
Chapter 22. Designing with Classes......Page 366
22.1 Python and OOP......Page 367
22.2 Classes as Records......Page 369
22.3 OOP and Inheritance: 'is-a' Relationships......Page 371
22.4 OOP and Composition: 'has-a' Relationships......Page 373
22.5 OOP and Delegation......Page 377
22.6 Multiple Inheritance......Page 378
22.7 Classes Are Objects: Generic Object Factories......Page 381
22.8 Methods Are Objects: Bound or Unbound......Page 384
22.9 Documentation Strings Revisited......Page 386
22.10 Classes Versus Modules......Page 388
Chapter 23. Advanced Class Topics......Page 389
23.1 Extending Built-in Types......Page 390
23.2 Pseudo-Private Class Attributes......Page 393
23.3 'New Style' Classes in Python 2.2......Page 396
23.4 Class Gotchas......Page 402
23.5 Part VI Exercises......Page 410
Part VII: Exceptions and Tools......Page 414
Chapter 24. Exception Basics......Page 415
24.1 Why Use Exceptions?......Page 416
24.2 Exception Handling: The Short Story......Page 418
24.3 The try/except/else Statement......Page 422
24.4 The try/finally Statement......Page 427
24.5 The raise Statement......Page 429
24.6 The assert Statement......Page 431
Chapter 25. Exception Objects......Page 433
25.1 String-Based Exceptions......Page 434
25.2 Class-Based Exceptions......Page 435
25.3 General raise Statement Forms......Page 442
Chapter 26. Designing with Exceptions......Page 443
26.1 Nesting Exception Handlers......Page 444
26.2 Exception Idioms......Page 447
26.3 Exception Design Tips......Page 451
26.4 Exception Gotchas......Page 454
26.5 Core Language Summary......Page 456
26.6 Part VII Exercises......Page 460
Part VIII: The Outer Layers......Page 461
Chapter 27. Common Tasks in Python......Page 462
27.1 Exploring on Your Own......Page 463
27.2 Conversions, Numbers, and Comparisons......Page 466
27.3 Manipulating Strings......Page 470
27.4 Data Structure Manipulations......Page 475
27.5 Manipulating Files and Directories......Page 480
27.6 Internet-Related Modules......Page 493
27.7 Executing Programs......Page 498
27.8 Debugging, Testing, Timing, Profiling......Page 501
27.9 Exercises......Page 504
Chapter 28. Frameworks......Page 505
28.1 An Automated Complaint System......Page 506
28.2 Interfacing with COM: Cheap Public Relations......Page 512
28.3 A Tkinter-Based GUI Editor for Managing Form Data......Page 516
28.4 Jython: The Felicitous Union of Python and Java......Page 521
28.5 Exercises......Page 527
Chapter 29. Python Resources......Page 528
29.1 Layers of Community......Page 529
29.2 The Process......Page 533
29.3 Services and Products......Page 534
29.4 The Legal Framework: The Python Software Foundation......Page 535
29.5 Software......Page 536
29.6 Popular Third-Party Software......Page 538
29.7 Web Application Frameworks......Page 546
29.8 Tools for Python Developers......Page 548
Part IX: Appendixes......Page 549
Appendix A. Installation and Configuration......Page 550
A.1 Installing the Python Interpreter......Page 551
Appendix B. Solutions to Exercises......Page 556
B.1 Part I, Getting Started......Page 557
B.2 Part II, Types and Operations......Page 559
B.3 Part III, Statements and Syntax......Page 564
B.4 Part IV, Functions......Page 566
B.5 Part V, Modules......Page 570
B.6 Part VI, Classes and OOP......Page 573
B.7 Part VII, Exceptions and Tools......Page 580
B.8 Part VIII, The Outer Layers......Page 582
Colophon......Page 588
Index......Page 589
Index SYMBOL......Page 590
Index A......Page 591
Index B......Page 593
Index C......Page 595
Index D......Page 600
Index E......Page 602
Index F......Page 604
Index G......Page 607
Index H......Page 608
Index I......Page 609
Index J......Page 612
Index K......Page 613
Index L......Page 614
Index M......Page 616
Index N......Page 618
Index O......Page 620
Index P......Page 622
Index Q......Page 625
Index R......Page 626
Index S......Page 628
Index T......Page 632
Index U......Page 635
Index V......Page 636
Index W......Page 637
Index X......Page 638
Index Z......Page 639

✦ Subjects

Computer Science;Programming;Science;Reference;Nonfiction;Technology;Computers;Technical;Coding;Textbooks;Software