Python Essential Reference (4th Edition)
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Product Description
Python Essential Reference is the definitive reference guide to the Python programming language — the one authoritative handbook that reliably untangles and explains both the core Python language and the most essential parts of the Python library.
Designed for the professional programmer, the book is concise, to the point, and highly accessible. It also includes detailed information on the Python library and many advanced subjects that is not available in either the official Python documentation or any other single reference source.
Thoroughly updated to reflect the significant new programming language features and library modules that have been introduced in Python 2.6 and Python 3, the fourth edition of Python Essential Reference is the definitive guide for programmers who need to modernize existing Python code or who are planning an eventual migration to Python 3. Programmers starting a new Python project will find detailed coverage of contemporary Python programming idioms.
This fourth edition of Python Essential Reference features numerous improvements, additions, and updates:
- Coverage of new language features, libraries, and modules
- Practical coverage of Python's more advanced features including generators, coroutines, closures, metaclasses, and decorators
- Expanded coverage of library modules related to concurrent programming including threads, subprocesses, and the new multiprocessing module
- Up-to-the-minute coverage of how to use Python 2.6’s forward compatibility mode to evaluate code for Python 3 compatibility
- Improved organization for even faster answers and better usability
- Updates to reflect modern Python programming style and idioms
- Updated and improved example code
- Deep coverage of low-level system and networking library modules — including options not covered in the standard documentation
From the Back Cover
Python Essential Reference is the definitive reference guide to the Python programming language — the one authoritative handbook that reliably untangles and explains both the core Python language and the most essential parts of the Python library.
Designed for the professional programmer, the book is concise, to the point, and highly accessible. It also includes detailed information on the Python library and many advanced subjects that is not available in either the official Python documentation or any other single reference source.
Thoroughly updated to reflect the significant new programming language features and library modules that have been introduced in Python 2.6 and Python 3, the fourth edition of Python Essential Reference is the definitive guide for programmers who need to modernize existing Python code or who are planning an eventual migration to Python 3. Programmers starting a new Python project will find detailed coverage of contemporary Python programming idioms.
This fourth edition of Python Essential Reference features numerous improvements, additions, and updates:
- Coverage of new language features, libraries, and modules
- Practical coverage of Python's more advanced features including generators, coroutines, closures, metaclasses, and decorators
- Expanded coverage of library modules related to concurrent programming including threads, subprocesses, and the new multiprocessing module
- Up-to-the-minute coverage of how to use Python 2.6’s forward compatibility mode to evaluate code for Python 3 compatibility
- Improved organization for even faster answers and better usability
- Updates to reflect modern Python programming style and idioms
- Updated and improved example code
- Deep coverage of low-level system and networking library modules — including options not covered in the standard documentation
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The author of Python Essential Reference is David Beazley, who among other occupations created the open-source SWIG tool and the WAD mixed-languages debugger. His background is pervading throughout the book, in which the reader gets a clear sense of what is happening behind the Python programming language and learns how to use it efficiently instead of considering it as a black box.
The first 20 pages give an overview of the language and although it is called a "tutorial introduction", it should be understood that its purpose is for a programmer to see what Python looks like, and not for a novice to get their first programming course.
The next 156 pages offer a thorough review of the language and its environment. This is a very interesting part and should not be skipped even by people who already know Python. I said "review" but an experienced programmer should be able to learn the language by reading those chapters and putting them into practice with extra exercises.
Instead of simply describing the language, the author also hands out tricks of the trade, showing how to acquire good coding habits while using an sensible approach regarding the performance, which is often essential in a dynamic language. The fourth edition is focusing on version 2.6 but offers some historical perspective by pointing out several elements that were recently improved, or which are about to change in upcoming versions.
The first part of the book concludes with useful recommendations on program debugging and profiling.
The second part contains 388 pages and goes through the Python library, presenting the essential modules together with examples, notes and advices. After all, this is a reference, so we shouldn't expect any less.
Last but not least, the third part comprises 30 pages of precious information on Python/C interface for extending the language or embedding it in larger applications.
An appendix introduces version 3 for those who are ready to make the leap.
For the sake of completeness, if I were to make any reproach or wish for improvement, it would probably be on the overall presentation (and would be a very minor one). The style in the code excerpts could be more consistent in the first part of the book, and the second part could do with more emphasis on the ... reference ... character of the text, perhaps by providing a more convenient way to navigate through the different modules and by using more obvious styles for the different parts. I sometimes had the impression of reading a long listing of modules and methods instead of looking through a reference book. While the contents is superior to other references like "Python in a Nutshell", I found it easier to retrieve what I needed with the latter - a bit on the brink of obsolescence today - than I do now with the former.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone desirous of improving their programming skills in Python, or having to write optimized code because performance is an issue.
The first 20 pages give an overview of the language and although it is called a "tutorial introduction", it should be understood that its purpose is for a programmer to see what Python looks like, and not for a novice to get their first programming course.
The next 156 pages offer a thorough review of the language and its environment. This is a very interesting part and should not be skipped even by people who already know Python. I said "review" but an experienced programmer should be able to learn the language by reading those chapters and putting them into practice with extra exercises.
Instead of simply describing the language, the author also hands out tricks of the trade, showing how to acquire good coding habits while using an sensible approach regarding the performance, which is often essential in a dynamic language. The fourth edition is focusing on version 2.6 but offers some historical perspective by pointing out several elements that were recently improved, or which are about to change in upcoming versions.
The first part of the book concludes with useful recommendations on program debugging and profiling.
The second part contains 388 pages and goes through the Python library, presenting the essential modules together with examples, notes and advices. After all, this is a reference, so we shouldn't expect any less.
Last but not least, the third part comprises 30 pages of precious information on Python/C interface for extending the language or embedding it in larger applications.
An appendix introduces version 3 for those who are ready to make the leap.
For the sake of completeness, if I were to make any reproach or wish for improvement, it would probably be on the overall presentation (and would be a very minor one). The style in the code excerpts could be more consistent in the first part of the book, and the second part could do with more emphasis on the ... reference ... character of the text, perhaps by providing a more convenient way to navigate through the different modules and by using more obvious styles for the different parts. I sometimes had the impression of reading a long listing of modules and methods instead of looking through a reference book. While the contents is superior to other references like "Python in a Nutshell", I found it easier to retrieve what I needed with the latter - a bit on the brink of obsolescence today - than I do now with the former.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone desirous of improving their programming skills in Python, or having to write optimized code because performance is an issue.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This 4th edition is my 3rd acquisition of this title. I still own the 1st and 2nd editions. I have several other good books about Python (recently I got the two books from Langtangen (Python Scripting for Computational Science (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering) and A Primer on Scientific Programming with Python (Texts in Computational Science and Engineering), but there is a newer edition of this one), I also own one book from Martelli (Python in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))), which is a little dated but still is useful, and a few others (one from Mark Summerfeld, the Jython book from O'Reilly, etc). This said, the Beazley's book is the one that travels in my backpack whenever I have to code in Python, and often a few of its pages are read in bed, before I go to sleep. It is my only Python book which often has this privilege. This book stands for Python as a Japanese garden stands for gardening: it is elegantly written, has all the (reasonable) info, and all the "information fatness" is removed. It is not for the virgin programmer, but it is the most time-effective book for learning Python seriously.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of my favourite books. It contains everything I have needed to check up on so far. I highly recommend buying this book if you need a reference. It is however not a learning book, for that you need another to get started. This book is not supposed to teach you, but to show you solutions for problems that might arise.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Bible
I rarely feel the need to praise excellence, coz there ain't much of it about.
This book is a lovely example of it. Read more
This book is a lovely example of it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by mike rodent
Best book on Python
I have been coding Python for many years, butI read this book from cover to cover during a couple of evenings learning a some new details in every chapter, If you are a serious... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Rene Nejsum
The Only Python Book You Need
This book pretty much gives you all you need to know to learn Python assuming you have done some programming before. Read more
Published 22 months ago by S. Connah
One of the worst Python books out there
I'm really disappointed. I expected to find some good comparison between version 2.x and 3.x, but that's not the case. The (few) examples are like 3 lines long. Read more
Published on 16 April 2010 by Cj
Best Python book
I fully recommend this book for everyone interested in Python language. I have checked about 10 other Python books but this is in a class of it's own.
Published on 2 Feb 2010 by BonkyuLemonade
Awesome Python reference
I ordered this the other day from Amazon but I've been using it on Safari Books Online as well. It's rare to find a decent programming book these days that have quality examples... Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2010 by W. Baer
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