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Book Description
Powerful Object-Oriented Programming
Product Description
Google and YouTube use Python because it's highly adaptable, easy to maintain, and allows for rapid development. If you want to write high-quality, efficient code that's easily integrated with other languages and tools, this hands-on book will help you be productive with Python quickly -- whether you're new to programming or just new to Python. It's an easy-to-follow self-paced tutorial, based on author and Python expert Mark Lutz's popular training course.
Each chapter contains a stand-alone lesson on a key component of the language, and includes a unique Test Your Knowledge section with practical exercises and quizzes, so you can practice new skills and test your understanding as you go. You'll find lots of annotated examples and illustrations to help you get started with Python 3.0.
- Learn about Python's major built-in object types, such as numbers, lists, and dictionaries
- Create and process objects using Python statements, and learn Python's general syntax model
- Structure and reuse code using functions, Python's basic procedural tool
- Learn about Python modules: packages of statements, functions, and other tools, organized into larger components
- Discover Python's object-oriented programming tool for structuring code
- Learn about the exception-handling model, and development tools for writing larger programs
- Explore advanced Python tools including decorators, descriptors, metaclasses, and Unicode processing
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've only just begun reading through this book. I've read through the first 150 pages. There's quite a lot of waffle to begin with. But, it's worth wading through it to get you started and to get an overview of what's to come in the rest of the book. I've been a C programmer for over ten years. So, I'm not expecting too much trouble learning the basics of this language. I will have to adopt a new way of thinking though, which will take some time.
I would say this book may be a bit lacking for a complete beginner who is wanting to learn to program for the first time. Like I said above, there is a lot to read through before the book really gets you started coding. I think the author attempts to be complete in his descriptions. But, this is too much information for a novice to take in. Also, he uses terminology that a novice may not understand. A novice who is determined enough will be able to get through this and if they persist I'm sure it will come together for them.
In summary, after reading the first few chapters I have whet my appetite and am looking forward to working through the rest of the book. Complete beginners to programming may struggle with it a bit.
I would say this book may be a bit lacking for a complete beginner who is wanting to learn to program for the first time. Like I said above, there is a lot to read through before the book really gets you started coding. I think the author attempts to be complete in his descriptions. But, this is too much information for a novice to take in. Also, he uses terminology that a novice may not understand. A novice who is determined enough will be able to get through this and if they persist I'm sure it will come together for them.
In summary, after reading the first few chapters I have whet my appetite and am looking forward to working through the rest of the book. Complete beginners to programming may struggle with it a bit.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is not a book that is suitable for people who have never programmed before. From the get go, it will rely on prior (albiet simple) concepts of programming, most prominently from people migrating from a language like C or C++. To further compound the issue, there are very, very few proper exercises (each chapter gives you a little pop-quiz at the end, and each section gives exercises). On top of that, the code examples used when introducing and explaining are fairly abstract, using little "cute" peices of arbitrary code followed by their output. While this makes for quite a comprehensive reference, it is an absolutely terrible pedagogical approach.
If you're not sufficiently put off at this point - it gets worse - the author will introduce higher-level concepts or areas of knowledge unrelated to the current chapter, further adding to the complexity of the matter at hand, and spreading the information uselessly across the book. For example, file objects are introduced briefly at the start, and slowly, throughout the chapters, the way to handle files appropriately and pythonistically are fed to you at interim periods. If I want to turn to this book to learn about how to handle files, instead of all the information being consolidated in one chapter, the knowledge is flung about the book in a haphazard and disorganised way.
And that's it- this book is lazy and disorganised. It cannot answer the needs of someone learning Python and it cannot serve the needs of a reference. You will rue the day you bought this doorstop.
If you're not sufficiently put off at this point - it gets worse - the author will introduce higher-level concepts or areas of knowledge unrelated to the current chapter, further adding to the complexity of the matter at hand, and spreading the information uselessly across the book. For example, file objects are introduced briefly at the start, and slowly, throughout the chapters, the way to handle files appropriately and pythonistically are fed to you at interim periods. If I want to turn to this book to learn about how to handle files, instead of all the information being consolidated in one chapter, the knowledge is flung about the book in a haphazard and disorganised way.
And that's it- this book is lazy and disorganised. It cannot answer the needs of someone learning Python and it cannot serve the needs of a reference. You will rue the day you bought this doorstop.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I had around a years experience in C++ before coming to use this book. I kept in mind what me as a beginner would have been thinking whilst reading through the first few technical chapters of the book, and I suspect that, as other people have said, this is not appropriate if you have never programmed before.
However, having some coding experience already I would say I got the most out of this book. Early on it elucidates the strengths and weaknesses of Python and helps the reader to understand the fundamental differences of Python to other languages like C & C++. After this teh author spends a large amount of time talking about Pythons Fundamental types. This was my only gripe with the book. Around 150-200 pages are devoted to showcasing Pythons Built ins, methods and attributes, which to me seems a bit a waste of time as the help function and the dir() function can give so much help in this respects.
However, this is really a minor gripe and depends on how confident you feel. The book contains a very good chapter of dynamic typing, and from then on highlights key concepts very well with ample pieces of code to demonstrate the points.
I have to recommend Python anyhow for a beginner language due to the phenomenal amount of help available online and also the ease of use of IDLE, Pythonds dynamic GUI. This makes learnign quicker and more interactive.
However, having some coding experience already I would say I got the most out of this book. Early on it elucidates the strengths and weaknesses of Python and helps the reader to understand the fundamental differences of Python to other languages like C & C++. After this teh author spends a large amount of time talking about Pythons Fundamental types. This was my only gripe with the book. Around 150-200 pages are devoted to showcasing Pythons Built ins, methods and attributes, which to me seems a bit a waste of time as the help function and the dir() function can give so much help in this respects.
However, this is really a minor gripe and depends on how confident you feel. The book contains a very good chapter of dynamic typing, and from then on highlights key concepts very well with ample pieces of code to demonstrate the points.
I have to recommend Python anyhow for a beginner language due to the phenomenal amount of help available online and also the ease of use of IDLE, Pythonds dynamic GUI. This makes learnign quicker and more interactive.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An Excellent Course In Python
I have just completed reading the first 900 pages of this 1200 page book, which comprises a course covering all the basics of the Python programming language. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Arnaud033
Wading through syrup
Admittedly, I have an earlier edition of this book, but I'm finding it hard going.
I cannot recommend it for a beginner (or even a non-beginner). Read more
I cannot recommend it for a beginner (or even a non-beginner). Read more
Published 3 months ago by Andy G
Giving you the essentials in a clear and structured way
I have experience with programming and wanted to learn what Python is, what is special about it, and how to write programs in it, without having to read a 1000-page book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by a reader
Excellent book
I'm an amateur programmer and all I can say is that this book is very-very good.
No problems in executing any of the code so far (that's a usual problem I had with books in... Read more
No problems in executing any of the code so far (that's a usual problem I had with books in... Read more
Published 4 months ago by TG
Competent
Its up to the standard I expect from such a book, I'm quite happy with it and I think most people who want to learn Python would be too. That's a recommendation. Read more
Published 12 months ago by ColinM
I liked it
I actually liked this bookeven th Iough have not finished it yet (I'm only half way through). I have no programming background but with this book I was able to learn python with... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Carlos Borja Perez Gandara
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