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Programming Python, 3rd Edition
book

Programming Python, 3rd Edition

by Mark Lutz
August 2006
Intermediate to advanced content levelIntermediate to advanced
1600 pages
51h 46m
English
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Content preview from Programming Python, 3rd Edition

What’s Python Good For?

Because Python is used in a wide variety of ways, it’s almost impossible to give an authoritative answer to this question. As a general-purpose language, Python can be used for almost anything computers are capable of. Its feature set applies to both rapid and longer-term development modes. And from an abstract perspective, any project that can benefit from the inclusion of a language optimized for speed of development is a good target Python application domain. Given the ever-shrinking schedules in software development, this is a very broad category.

A more specific answer is less easy to formulate. For instance, some use Python as an embedded extension language, and others use it exclusively as a standalone programming tool. To some extent, this entire book will answer this very question—it explores some of Python’s most common roles. For now, here’s a summary of some of the more common ways Python is being applied today:

System utilities

Portable command-line tools, testing, system administration scripts

Internet scripting

CGI web sites, Java applets, XML, email, Zope/Plone, CherryPy, Webware, Twisted

GUIs

With tools such as Tk, wxPython, Qt, Gtk, PythonCard, Dabo, Swing, Anygui

Component integration

C/C++ library frontends, product customization

Database access

Persistent object stores, SQL database interfaces

Distributed programming

With client/server APIs like CORBA, CGI, COM, .NET, SOAP, XML-RPC

Rapid-prototyping/development

Tactical run-once programs or ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 0596009259Supplemental ContentErrata Page