Print Book $39.99
Print Book £24.99
By Mark Lutz
Third Edition
October 2007
Pages: 746
ISBN 10: 0-596-51398-4 |
ISBN 13: 9780596513986
(Average of 2 Customer Reviews)
With this hands-on book, you can master the fundamentals of the core Python language quickly and efficiently, whether you're new to programming or just new to Python. Each chapter is a self-contained lesson that helps you thoroughly understand a key component of Python. Each chapter also contains Brain Builder, a unique section with practical exercises and review quizzes that let you practice new skills and test your understanding as you go.
Full Description
Learning Python is based on material from author Mark Lutz's popular training courses, which he's taught over the past decade. Each chapter is a self-contained lesson that helps you thoroughly understand a key component of Python before you continue. Along with plenty of annotated examples, illustrations, and chapter summaries, every chapter also contains Brain Builder, a unique section with practical exercises and review quizzes that let you practice new skills and test your understanding as you go.
This book covers:
- Types and Operations -- Python's major built-in object types in depth: numbers, lists, dictionaries, and more
- Statements and Syntax -- the code you type to create and process objects in Python, along with Python's general syntax model
- Functions -- Python's basic procedural tool for structuring and reusing code
- Modules -- packages of statements, functions, and other tools organized into larger components
- Classes and OOP -- Python's optional object-oriented programming tool for structuring code for customization and reuse
- Exceptions and Tools -- exception handling model and statements, plus a look at development tools for writing larger programs
Cover | Table of Contents | Colophon
Featured customer reviews
Excellent Coverage Of Python, March 23 2008
After getting a review copy of Learning Python, 3rd edition, I had forgot how much really great material was in the book. If you are interested in learning about Python 2.6 and Python 3000, and have some experience with Programming in another language this is an excellent book.
This book is not a reference book like the excellent Python Essential Reference, but more of a example driven guide through features of the language. I would pick this book up even if you know Python, as it covers new language features that have not been documented in some books.
Good starter for Python, January 12 2008
I found this book to be a very good starter for learning Python. It deals with all the things you need to know what you first start out with Python. It is easy to read and the author knows how to keep you interested, even in the more theoretical parts.
It starts off with background information about Python. What is it, where did it come from, how do you start Python programs etc. Then it continues with the basic principles of how Python works. Python's basis differs quite a bit from other popular languages and the book makes the differences easy to understand.
It then continues to the actual programming syntax. By now, you'll have read some 200 pages of background information so you'll understand how python works before you start writing anything in it. I find this to be a big plus, because the examples make perfect sense, you don't have to translate the code into some understanding of how Python works, it just falls into place naturally because of what you learned before.
The book then deals with another big thing in Python: modules. Again everything is explained very clearly, you don't get the feeling that you need to be an ace programmer to understand it.
The last segment of the book deals with OOP and I'm glad to see that even here the author does not assume that you're an expert already. He takes time to explain how OOP works in theory, and then procedes to demonstrate how to do it in Python.
Are there any downsides? Not really. I'm an experienced programmer but I didn't notice the book skipping any required information.
Alltogether I think this book is a great start for anyone who want's to learn Python. It's detailed, entertaining and easy to read.
Media reviews
"Here is the complete course on learning Python, a powerful language used by such well-known companies as Google, iRobot and YouTube. The author, who presents live Python language instruction, has drawn from his personal classroom experiences to produce a book full of practical tips, insider hints, and real world-based insights. (Reprinted with permission from The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing, copyright 2007, Graphic Dimensions, Lauderdale by the Sea, FL.)"
-- Michael Kleper, The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing
"College-level collections strong in programming languages in general and Python in particular will appreciate this coverage, written by the world leader in Python training and author of many previous writings on Python since 1992."
-- James Cox, The Bookwatch
Read all reviews
"Here is the complete course on learning Python, a powerful language used by such well-known companies as Google, iRobot and YouTube. The author, who presents live Python language instruction, has drawn from his personal classroom experiences to produce a book full of practical tips, insider hints, and real world-based insights."
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