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Python Pocket Reference, Second Edition

By Mark Lutz
Second Edition  November 2001 
Pages: 128
Series: Pocket References
ISBN 10: 0-596-00189-4 | ISBN 13: 9780596001896
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Book description

The Python Pocket Reference, 2nd Edition covers the latest Python release 2.2. It is a short, concise reference for the Python programming language, and its most commonly used libraries and tools. Designed to be a quick and easy to use resource for developers, this book serves as a natural companion to O'Reilly's Learning Python and Programming Python, 2nd Edition. This edition includes new summary material for Python's GUI, Internet, and database programming tools.
Full Description

Python is optimized for quality, productivity, portability, and integration. Hundreds of thousands of Python developers around the world rely on Python for Internet scripting, systems programming, user interfaces, and product customization. Python is available on all major computing platforms, including commercial versions of Unix, Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. It's portable, powerful, and remarkably easy to use. It's also an interpreted language, designed for rapid application development and deployment. Python Pocket Reference, 2nd Edition is a companion volume to two O'Reilly Animal Guides, Programming Python, 2nd Edition and Learning Python. It summarizes Python statements and types, built-in functions, commonly used library modules, and other prominent Python language features. This pocket reference covers the latest Python release 2.2, and provides quick access to just what you're looking for. It is a short, concise reference for the most commonly used libraries and tools. The new edition also includes new summary material for Python's GUI, Internet, and database programming tools. The author, Mark Lutz, is a Python luminary-who has been on the Python scene since its inception.

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Python Pocket Reference, 2nd Edition Review,  December 14 2001
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar
Submitted by wolfgang teschner   [Respond | View]

I had the opportunity to review this book before it should arrive at the desktops of the hopefully eagerly waiting readers (planned date = january). I am very thankful I could get my hands (eyes) on it, as it is very good: helpful, nicely printed (lots of stuff on more than 100 pages, but good readable). It gives a good overview of Python 2.2 with the new features smoothly integrated (like the new statically nested namespaces, though I missed the slightly different handling of the "/" (div) operator).

It covers all platforms (the differences between them are few) and many many modules, from sys, os, environment to strings, file system, TKinter, persistency and database to regular expression handling. It also mentions some internals of the implementation, to allow a better understanding of the underlying concepts.

Alas, even such a good book has its drawbacks. I strongly missed an index; especially for the new concepts, it is hard to locate their basic description, when they are just mentioned without explanation in some context (like back- quotes `). I would have decided to get an index in and the rather boring gathering about Object Access taken out, iff the cost of the guide were shooting too high. And I missed the description of the calender module (an especially helpful addition in standard Python!).

But all in all, I give high marks for this "little helper", which saves me working around with packs of paper stuffed in my trousers, which I used to print from the Doc.

Under "Assorted Hints", you find the wonderful saying: You should always say "spam" abd "eggs" instead of "foo" and "bar" in Python examples. That says it all - just pythonic!

PS:

2 small typos were mentioned by me on the "errata" page: page 72, it says strings are mutable (they are not) and page 119, they mention the fine database module "gadfly", but call it "gadly", which could send some reader off track on search of a description in the internet.



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Media reviews
"[Consumers] will find the fine 'pocket references' produced by O'Reilly to be compact and affordable."
-- James Cox, The Computer Shelf: Midwest Book Review

Reviews From Previous Edition

"Go ahead, buy it ;-))). It's only $6.95, and well worth it. You will learn more just by carrying this around and reviewing the language syntax in odd moments on the train, at lunch, or at the airport, than you might imagine. A great aid to committing the language's syntax permanently to memory, the little book, that fits nicely in a coat jacket pocket, is a gem."
--Ron Stephens, Python City

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