Python books?

[Tommy Nordgren]

Could some kind soul please recommend a few text books on Python 2.5
and it's class library?

----
Kine dies, Kinfolk dies, and thus at last yourself
This I know that never dies, how a dead mans deeds are deemed. --
Elder edda
Tommy Nordgren
to************@comhem.se

[Alex Martelli]

Tommy Nordgren <to************@comhem.sewrote:

Could some kind soul please recommend a few text books on Python 2.5
and it's class library?

I believe recent books on Python (such as "Python for Dummies" and the
second edition of "Core Python Programming") do cover 2.5; I do know
that the 2nd edition of Python in a Nutshell tries to do so, but falls
quite a bit short on a number of important new additions to the library
(I had to close the book a tad too early to really do them justice,
sigh).
Alex

[wesley chun]

On Mar 8, 7:06 pm, Tommy Nordgren <[e-mail]:

Could some kind soul please recommend a few textbooks on Python 2.5
and it's class library?

it's not necessary to have a 2.5 book that can introduce you to the
modules of the Python Standard Library (not all modules are [or have]
classes so "class library" perhaps is too restrictive a term).

the most significant additions to the std library in 2.5 are:
ctypes, sqlite3, xml.etree (ElementTree), wsgiref, cProfile

altho they provide new functionality, there are plenty of existing
modules in the standard library that are worth learning. the main
reference guides to the standard library modules and their attributes
include: Python in a Nutshell and Python Essential Reference, both in
addition to the online library reference.

my book, Core Python Programming, is revised to 2.5, but focuses on
teaching you the core part of the language, features, objects, memory
management, development, good practices, some advanced topic coverage,
and presents lots of exercises. however, it is not an exhaustive
guide to the standard library. to find out more about it, check out
the reviews and notes on amazon as well as the book's website (see
below).

hope this helps!
-- wesley
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Core Python Programming", Prentice Hall, (c)2007,2001
http://corepython.com

wesley.j.chun :: wescpy-at-gmail.com
python training and technical consulting
cyberweb.consulting : silicon valley, ca
http://cyberwebconsulting.com

[=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Ralf_Sch=F6nian?=]

Have a look at: Core python programming from Wesley J. Chun printed by
Prentice Hall.

Ralf Schoenian

[Bjoern Schliessmann]

Alex Martelli wrote:

I do know that the 2nd edition of Python in a Nutshell tries to do
so, but falls quite a bit short on a number of important new
additions to the library

Which, if I may ask?

Regards,
Björn

--
BOFH excuse #221:

The mainframe needs to rest. It's getting old, you know.

[Alex Martelli]

Bjoern Schliessmann <us**************************@spamgourmet.com>
wrote:

Alex Martelli wrote:

I do know that the 2nd edition of Python in a Nutshell tries to do
so, but falls quite a bit short on a number of important new
additions to the library

Which, if I may ask?

For example, all I say about ctypes is that it's scheduled to be added
to the standard library in Python 2.5, plus the URL to theller's pages
on it; it's surely worth at least the 5 pages I devoted to covering
Pyrex (considering that the latter is not in the standard library), not
just 5 lines:-(. Similarly, ElementTree is essentially just mentioned,
not really covered (while it would deserve the 10-12 pages that I
instead used to cover minidom), and SQLite gets less than a page
(probably enough for elementary use, since the DBAPI _is_ well covered,
but 2-3 pages with advanced issues and a relatively long examples would
have been better).

You could say, for 2.5 coverage, the book is missing about 20 pages it
should have -- not all that much, in comparison to the 700 pages it does
have, but not ideal (as for the "new compiler stuff" -- modules
compiler, parser, symbol, etc -- I'm not even sure how long it would
take to do them justice... perhaps another 20-30 pages... but perhaps
those subjects are a bit too exoteric to keep expanding the book!-).
Alex

[Jim Hill]

wesley chun wrote:

>my book, Core Python Programming, is revised to 2.5, but focuses on
teaching you the core part of the language, features, objects, memory
management, development, good practices, some advanced topic coverage,
and presents lots of exercises. however, it is not an exhaustive
guide to the standard library.

Sadly, the centerfolds were 'shopped and had bottle-bleached hair.

Wait, that was a different read. CPP has been invaluable for me and I'd
recommend it for the OP even though it's not dedicated solely to the
PSL. OK?
Jim
--

It's not "pretexting", it's "lying."

[tleeuwenburg]

The Python Cookbook is still relevant, and is excellent. I have used
it to improve the quality of my solutions to several complex problems.
It helps to explain many of the more advanced tricks to Python
development.

-T