Python Programming On Win32

Appendix A. Key Python Modules and Functions

The Python library is huge (231 files in the latest Windows distribution), but a full library reference in HTML format is included with every Python installation. You may also download printable versions in PostScript or PDF formats from www.python.org and circulate copies without restriction: the document is a similar size to this book.

As a convenience to the armchair reader we have included the key functions and modules that are likely to be used by most nontrivial programs. These are nearly direct reproductions from the Python Library. The Python Library is also Open Source, but we are required to include this copyright notice:

The Python Library Reference is Copyright © 1991-1995 by Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. All Rights Reserved.

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the names of Stichting Mathematisch Centrum or CWI or Corporation for National Research Initiatives or CNRI not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, written prior permission.

This appendix covers:

• Methods of built-in types such as lists, dictionaries, and files

• Built-in functions

• The sys module

• The os and os.path modules ...