Best book on Python?

[Michael McGarry]

Hi,

What is the best book covering Python?

Michael

[Peter Hansen]

Michael McGarry wrote:

What is the best book covering Python?

For what purpose?

Are you a complete newbie to Python? To programming?

Are you looking for a technical reference, a tutorial,
information about a specific area (e.g. networking, GUIs),
or something else?

Please help the poor non-mindreaders amongst us to help you...

-Peter

[Dimitri Tcaciuc]

Michael McGarry wrote:

Hi,

What is the best book covering Python?

Michael

IMHO, you have to try at least several books. There's no such thing as
'best book' for everybody. It's all very subjective, one book can work
for you better than it worked for me.

Google for Dive Into Python. Its a free online publication, see if is
any good for you.

Cheers,

[Maurice LING]

Google for Dive Into Python. Its a free online publication, see if is
any good for you.

Cheers,

I like "Dive into Python" for the fact that it tends to explain examples
line by line in an annotated form but it may just be my personal
preference.

If the focus is only on printed books and there is some experience with
programming, "programming python" by Lutz from O'Reilly might be a good
one.

Personally, I learn with "Python: the complete reference" by Martin C.
Brown from Osborne/McGraw-Hill. There is no reason as to why I chose
this book to start except that it is on discount in my university's
bookshop. Although I must confess that I do not start from zero ground
as I've read the official "Python tutorial" and "Learning Python" before
hand. I must say that the mindset is important. I had almost hit a "I
have to learn python" situation, rather than "it is nice to know" situation.

If the focus includes online materials, then there is a mountain of free
online tutorials to wade through. Although somehow the materials seems
fragmented but it is a nice source as well, it can help you piece out
what is essential about python.

Cheers
Maurice

[Michael McGarry]

I have many years of programming experience and know a little bit of
Tcl. I am looking for a book to detail on the features including GUI in
a reference style.

Thanks,

Michael

[Paul Rubin]

Michael McGarry <mm******@nospam.org> writes:

I have many years of programming experience and know a little bit of
Tcl. I am looking for a book to detail on the features including GUI
in a reference style.

Why not just use the online documentation?

There's also an excellent Tkinter manual at:

http://infohost.nmt.edu/tcc/help/pubs/lang.html

[Maurice LING]

Michael McGarry wrote:

I have many years of programming experience and know a little bit of
Tcl. I am looking for a book to detail on the features including GUI in
a reference style.

Thanks,

Michael

I am assuming that you do not want to venture pass the standard
libraries at this moment, so in terms of GUI, Tkinter is about the only
choice within the standard libraries.

"Programming Python, 2nd Ed." has a good section of Tkinter and GUI
development.

You might want to search thru Amazon for Tkinter and find something to
your satisfaction.

Pass the standard libraries, there are other GUI kits like wxPython etc
etc., each carries a set of online documentations.

maurice

[Daniel Bickett]

> If the focus is only on printed books and there is some experience with

programming, "programming python" by Lutz from O'Reilly might be a good
one.

I saw that book today at Barnes and Noble, and found it curiously
ironic that it had a very large mouse on the cover :) But maybe that's
just me.

Daniel Bickett

[Maurice Ling]

Daniel Bickett wrote:

If the focus is only on printed books and there is some experience with
programming, "programming python" by Lutz from O'Reilly might be a good
one.

I saw that book today at Barnes and Noble, and found it curiously
ironic that it had a very large mouse on the cover :) But maybe that's
just me.

Daniel Bickett

Yes it is somewhat ironic. I do think that a snake or something closer
to a long, tube-like, legless animal will be more suitable. I have
absolutely no idea how animals are chosen in O'Reilly.

maurice

[BJörn Lindqvist]

I haven't read any Python paper books myself but as Christmas is
coming up, I've checked up on what Python books other people
recommend. Everyone who has reviewed Python books seem to like these
books:

* Python Essential Reference
* Python Cookbook
* Python in a Nutshell

The last two are both written by Alex Martelli and the cookbook is
IMHO really awesome.

--
mvh Björn

[Rod Haper]

Michael McGarry wrote:

I have many years of programming experience and know a little bit of
Tcl. I am looking for a book to detail on the features including GUI in
a reference style.

Given that you have some acquaintance with Tcl, if you want a reference
that caters toward GUI programming in Python using Tk, you might find
this book of interest: "Python and Tkinter Programming" by John Grayson.
Manning Publications, 2000, 658p

--
Rod

[Peter Hansen]

Maurice Ling wrote:

Yes it is somewhat ironic. I do think that a snake or something closer
to a long, tube-like, legless animal will be more suitable. I have
absolutely no idea how animals are chosen in O'Reilly.

Generally, with both subtlety and humour, judging by how often the
O'Reilly Python books appear with tasty little rabbits and rodents
on them...

-Peter

[Esmail Bonakdarian]

Michael McGarry wrote:

Hi,

What is the best book covering Python?

Michael

I like these:

Python Cookbook book
Learning Python, 2nd ed
Python in a Nutshell

Dive Into Python would also make a good choice
and the next book I would get (if I were to get
one more ;-)

I myself am looking for a small portable quick
reference, thinking about the O'Reilly pocket guide
but I'm not sure how good it is. I read on amazon
that it doesn't have an index - that seems odd for
any book, and esp a quick ref.

Esmail

[johnlichtenstein]

The Python in a Nutshell by Alex Martelli is a very good book. For
someone completely new to programming, Learning Python by Lutz might be
a better choice.

[Scott David Daniels]

Esmail Bonakdarian wrote:

I myself am looking for a small portable quick
reference, thinking about the O'Reilly pocket guide
but I'm not sure how good it is. I read on amazon
that it doesn't have an index - that seems odd for
any book, and esp a quick ref.

Look into Python Essential Reference for that kind of
book -- no fat, lotsa goodies.

--Scott David Daniels
Sc***********@Acm.Org

[Mirko Zeibig]

Maurice LING said the following on 12/12/2004 11:13 PM:

Google for Dive Into Python. Its a free online publication, see if is
any good for you.

Cheers,

I like "Dive into Python" for the fact that it tends to explain examples
line by line in an annotated form but it may just be my personal
preference.

I second this. Another one I like is "Textprocessing in Python" by
"David Mertz".
If the focus is only on printed books and there is some experience with
programming, "programming python" by Lutz from O'Reilly might be a good
one.

So what, "Dive into Python" is available in a printed version as well
;-) (e.g.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...17423-3565410).

Regards
Mirko

[Luis M. Gonzalez]

This is a very good introduction online:
www.g2swaroop.net/byte-of-python

I also suggest:
- Learning Python 2nd Ed.
- Core Python

You can also try these online resources:
- Dive into Python
- Thinking in Python

[Jean Brouwers]

The text of David Mertz' book is available on line at

<http://gnosis.cx/TPiP/>

/jean Brouwers
In article <32*************@individual.net>, Mirko Zeibig
<mi*********@zeibig.net> wrote:

Maurice LING said the following on 12/12/2004 11:13 PM:

Google for Dive Into Python. Its a free online publication, see if is
any good for you.

Cheers,

I like "Dive into Python" for the fact that it tends to explain examples
line by line in an annotated form but it may just be my personal
preference.

I second this. Another one I like is "Textprocessing in Python" by
"David Mertz".

If the focus is only on printed books and there is some experience with
programming, "programming python" by Lutz from O'Reilly might be a good
one.

So what, "Dive into Python" is available in a printed version as well
;-) (e.g.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...17423-3565410).

Regards
Mirko

[Esmail Bonakdarian]

Esmail Bonakdarian wrote:

I myself am looking for a small portable quick
reference,
Scott David Daniels wrote: Look into Python Essential Reference for that kind of
book -- no fat, lotsa goodies.

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the recommendation. I didn't know about this
book but looking at amazon, it looks a bit big for my
purposes (400+ pages) and covers only up to 2.1.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

I'll keep looking.

Cheers,
Esmail