book

Python in a Nutshell

by Alex Martelli

March 2003

Intermediate to advanced

656 pages

39h 30m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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How This Book Is Organized
Reference ConventionsTypographic Conventions
The Python Language
CPythonJythonChoosing Between CPython and JythonPython .NETLicensing and Price Issues

DocumentationNewsgroups and Mailing ListsSpecial Interest GroupsPython Business ForumPython JournalExtension Modules and Python SourcesThe Python CookbookBooks and Magazines
Installing Python from Source CodeWindowsUncompressing and unpacking the Python source codeBuilding the Python source code with Microsoft Visual C++Building Python for debuggingInstalling after the buildBuilding Python for CygwinUnix-like PlatformsUncompressing and unpacking the Python source codeConfiguring, building, and testingInstalling after the buildApple Macintosh
The python ProgramEnvironment VariablesCommand-Line Syntax and OptionsInteractive Sessions
IDLEOther Free Cross-Platform Python IDEsPlatform-Specific Free Python IDEsCommercial Python IDEsFree Text Editors with Python Support
Lexical StructureLines and IndentationTokensIdentifiersKeywordsOperatorsDelimitersLiteralsStatementsSimple statementsCompound statements
NumbersSequencesStringsTuplesListsDictionariesNoneCallablesBoolean Values
VariablesObject attributes and itemsAccessing nonexistent referencesAssignment StatementsPlain assignmentAugmented assignmentdel Statements
Coercion and ConversionsArithmetic OperationsComparisonsBitwise Operations on Integers
Sequences in GeneralCoercion and conversionsConcatenationSequence membershipIndexing a sequenceSlicing a sequenceStringsTuplesListsModifying a listIn-place operations on a listList methods
Dictionary MembershipIndexing a DictionaryDictionary Methods
The if StatementThe while StatementThe for StatementIteratorsrange and xrangeList comprehensionsThe break StatementThe continue StatementThe else Clause on Loop StatementsThe pass StatementThe try Statement
The def StatementParametersAttributes of Function ObjectsThe return StatementCalling FunctionsThe semantics of argument passingKinds of argumentsNamespacesThe global statementNested functions and nested scopeslambda ExpressionsGeneratorsRecursion
Classic Classes and InstancesThe class StatementThe Class BodyAttributes of class objectsFunction definitions in a class bodyClass-private variablesClass documentation stringsInstances__init__Attributes of instance objectsThe factory-function idiomAttribute Reference BasicsBound and Unbound MethodsUnbound method detailsBound method detailsInheritanceOverriding attributesDelegating to superclass methods“Deleting” class attributes
The Built-in object TypeClass-Level MethodsStatic methodsClass methodsNew-Style Classes__init____new__New-Style InstancesProperties__slots____getattribute__Per-instance methodsInheritance in the New-Style Object ModelMethod resolution orderCooperative superclass method calling
General-Purpose Special MethodsSpecial Methods for ContainersSequencesMappingsSetsContainer slicingContainer methodsSpecial Methods for Numeric Objects
How Python Determines a Class’s MetaclassHow a Metaclass Creates a ClassDefining and using your own metaclassesA substantial custom metaclass example
The try Statementtry/excepttry/finally
The Hierarchy of Standard ExceptionsStandard Exception Classes
Handling Errors in Large ProgramsLogging ErrorsThe assert StatementThe __debug__ Built-in Variable
Module ObjectsThe import StatementModule bodyAttributes of module objectsPython built-insModule documentation stringsModule-private variablesThe from Statement
Built-in ModulesSearching the Filesystem for a ModuleThe Main ProgramThe reload FunctionCircular Importssys.modules EntriesCustom Importers
Built-in Types
Methods of String Objects
Locale SensitivityThe maketrans Function
Format Specifier SyntaxCommon String-Formatting Idioms
The codecs ModuleThe unicodedata Module
Pattern-String SyntaxCommon Regular Expression IdiomsSets of CharactersAlternativesGroupsOptional FlagsMatch Versus SearchAnchoring at String Start and EndRegular Expression ObjectsMatch ObjectsFunctions of Module re
The os ModuleOSError ExceptionsThe errno Module
Path-String Attributes of the os ModulePermissionsFile and Directory Functions of the os ModuleThe os.path ModuleThe stat ModuleThe filecmp ModuleThe shutil ModuleFile Descriptor Operations
Creating a File Object with openFile modeBinary and text modesBufferingSequential and non-sequential accessAttributes and Methods of File ObjectsIteration on File ObjectsFile-Like Objects and Polymorphism
The fileinput ModuleThe linecache ModuleThe struct ModuleThe xreadlines Module
The gzip ModuleThe zipfile ModuleThe zlib Module
Standard Output and Standard ErrorThe print StatementStandard InputThe getpass Module
The readline ModuleConsole I/OThe curses packageThe msvcrt moduleThe WConio and Console modules
Methods of Cmd InstancesAttributes of Cmd InstancesA Cmd Example
The locale ModuleThe gettext ModuleUsing gettext for localizationEssential gettext functions
SerializationThe marshal ModuleThe pickle and cPickle ModulesFunctions of pickle and cPickleA pickling examplePickling instance objectsPickling customization with the copy_reg moduleThe shelve Module
The anydbm ModuleThe dumbdbm ModuleThe dbm, gdbm, and dbhash ModulesThe whichdb ModuleExamples of DBM-Like File Use
Reference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionExamples of Berkeley DB Use
Exception ClassesThread SafetyParameter StyleFactory FunctionsType Description AttributesThe connect FunctionConnection ObjectsCursor ObjectsDBAPI-Compliant ModulesGadfly
The time Module
Date and Time TypesThe DateTime TypeFactory functions for DateTimeMethods of DateTime instancesAttributes of DateTime instancesArithmetic on DateTime instancesThe DateTimeDelta TypeFactory functions for DateTimeDeltaMethods of DateTimeDelta instancesAttributes of DateTimeDelta instancesArithmetic on DateTimeDelta instancesOther AttributesSubmodules
Dynamic Execution and the exec StatementAvoiding execRestricting ExecutionExpressionsCompile and Code Objects
The rexec ModuleMethodsAttributesUsing rexecThe Bastion Module
Type ObjectsThe Code Object TypeThe frame Type
The gc ModuleThe weakref Module
The site and sitecustomize ModulesUser Customization
Threads in Python
Reference SectionThread ObjectsThread Synchronization ObjectsTimeout parametersLock and RLock objectsCondition objectsEvent objectsSemaphore objects
Reference SectionMethods of mmap ObjectsUsing mmap Objects for IPC
The math and cmath Modules
Type CodesShape and IndexingStorageSlicingSlicing examplesAssigning to array slicesTruth ValuesFactory FunctionsAttributes and MethodsOperations on ArraysBroadcastingIn-place operationsFunctions
The Optional output ArgumentCallable Attributesufunc Objects Supplied by NumericShorthand for Commonly Used ufunc Methods
Tkinter Fundamentals
Common Widget OptionsColor optionsLength optionsOptions expressing numbers of charactersOther common optionsCommon Widget MethodsTkinter Variable ObjectsTkinter Images
ButtonCheckbuttonEntryLabelListboxRadiobuttonScaleScrollbar
FrameToplevel
Menu-Specific MethodsMenu EntriesMenu Example
Text Widget MethodsGiving Text a ScrollbarMarksTagsIndicesFontsText Example
Canvas Methods on ItemsThe Line Canvas ItemThe Polygon Canvas ItemThe Rectangle Canvas ItemThe Text Canvas ItemA Simple Plotting Example
The PackerThe GridderThe Placer
The Event ObjectBinding Callbacks to EventsEvent NamesKeyboard eventsMouse eventsEvent-Related MethodsAn Events ExampleOther Callback-Related Methods
TestingUnit Testing and System TestingThe doctest ModuleThe unittest ModuleThe TestCase classUnit tests dealing with large amounts of data
The inspect ModuleThe traceback ModuleThe pdb ModuleDebugging in IDLE
ClassesObjectsFiltersFunctions
Developing a Fast-Enough Python ApplicationBenchmarkingLarge-Scale OptimizationList operationsString operationsDictionary operationsProfilingThe profile moduleCalibrationThe pstats moduleSmall-Scale OptimizationBuilding up a string from piecesSearching and sortingAvoiding exec and from ... import *Optimizing loopsOptimizing I/O
URL AccessThe urlparse ModuleThe urllib ModuleFunctionsThe FancyURLopener classThe urllib2 ModuleFunctionsThe Request classThe OpenerDirector classHandler classesHandling authentication
The poplib ModuleThe smtplib Module
The httplib ModuleThe ftplib Module
Reference SectionResponse StringsMethodsExample
The socket Modulesocket FunctionsThe socket ClassEcho Server and Client Using TCP SocketsEcho Server and Client Using UDP SocketsThe timeoutsocket Module
The BaseRequestHandler ClassHTTP ServersThe BaseHTTPServer moduleThe SimpleHTTPServer moduleThe CGIHTTPServer moduleThe SimpleXMLRPCServer module
The select ModuleThe asyncore and asynchat ModulesThe asyncore moduleThe asynchat moduleThe Twisted FrameworkThe twisted.internet and twisted.protocols packagesReactorsTransportsProtocol handlers and factoriesEcho server using twisted
CGI in PythonForm Submission MethodsThe cgi ModuleCGI Output and ErrorsError messagesThe cgitb moduleInstalling Python CGI ScriptsPython CGI scripts on Microsoft web serversPython CGI scripts on ApachePython CGI scripts on Xitami
The Cookie ModuleCookie methodsMorsel attributes and methodsUsing module Cookie
FastCGILRWPPyApache and mod_pythonWebwareQuixoteCustom Pure Python Servers
Encoding Binary Data as TextThe base64 ModuleThe quopri ModuleThe uu Module
Functions in Package emailThe email.Message ModuleThe email.Generator ModuleCreating MessagesThe email.Encoders ModuleThe email.Utils ModuleThe Message Classes of the rfc822 and mimetools Modules
The sgmllib Module
Reference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionReference SectionThe formatter ModuleThe htmlentitydefs ModuleParsing HTML with htmllib
EmbeddingTemplatingThe Cheetah PackageThe Cheetah templating languageThe Template classA Cheetah example
An Overview of XML Parsing
The xml.sax PackageAttributesIncremental parsingThe xml.sax.saxutils moduleParsing XHTML with xml.sax
The xml.dom PackageThe xml.dom.minidom ModuleNode objectsAttr objectsDocument objectsElement objectsParsing XHTML with xml.dom.minidomThe xml.dom.pulldom ModuleParsing XHTML with xml.dom.pulldom
Factory Methods of a Document ObjectMutating Methods of an Element ObjectMutating Methods of a Node ObjectOutput Methods of a Node ObjectChanging and Outputting XHTML with xml.dom.minidom
Extending Python with Python’s C APIBuilding and Installing C-Coded Python ExtensionsOverview of C-Coded Python Extension ModulesReturn Values of Python’s C API FunctionsModule InitializationReference CountingAccessing ArgumentsCreating Python ValuesExceptionsAbstract Layer FunctionsConcrete Layer FunctionsA Simple Extension ExampleDefining New TypesPer-instance dataThe PyTypeObject definitionInstance initialization and finalizationAttribute accessType definition example
Installing Resident Extension ModulesSetting ArgumentsPython Initialization and FinalizationRunning Python Code
Importing Java Packages in JythonThe Jython RegistryAccessibilityType ConversionsCalling overloaded Java methodsThe jarray moduleThe java.util collection classesSubclassing a Java ClassJavaBeans
The PythonInterpreter ClassThe PyObject ClassThe Py Class
The jythonc commandAdding Java-Visible MethodsPython Applets and ServletsPython appletsPython servlets
Python’s distutilsThe Distribution and Its RootThe setup.py ScriptMetadata About the DistributionDistribution ContentsPython source filesOther filesC-coded extensionsThe setup.cfg FileThe MANIFEST.in and MANIFEST FilesCreating Prebuilt Distributions with distutils

Content preview from Python in a Nutshell

Name

islink

Synopsis

islink(path)

Returns True when path names a symbolic link. Otherwise (always, on platforms that don’t support symbolic links) islink returns False.

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Python in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 0596001886Supplemental Content Catalog Page Errata