Python Pocket Reference, Fourth Edition | Date: 28 April 2011, 07:16
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Python Pocket Reference
By Mark Lutz
* Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
* Number Of Pages: 208
* Publication Date: 2009-10-13
* ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0596158084
* ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780596158088
Product Description:
This is the book to reach for when you're coding on the fly and need an answer now. It's an easy-to-use reference to the core language, with descriptions of commonly used modules and toolkits, and a guide to recent changes, new features, and upgraded built-ins -- all updated to cover Python 3.x as well as version 2.6. You'll also quickly find exactly what you need with the handy index.
Written by Mark Lutz, who is widely recognized as today's leading Python trainer, Python Pocket Reference, Fourth Edition, is the perfect companion to O'Reilly's classic Python tutorials, Learning Python and Programming Python.
This edition covers:
* Built-in object types, including numbers, lists, dictionaries, and more
* Statements and syntax for creating and processing objects
* Functions and modules for structuring and reusing code
* Python's object-oriented programming tools
* The exception-handling model
* Built-in functions, exceptions, and attributes
* Special operator overloading methods
* Widely used standard library modules and extensions
* Command-line options and development tools
* Python idioms and hints
Summary: Decent reference
Rating: 4
Covers most of the stuff I need to know on a daily basis but I've honestly only used it when my internet has gone down.
Summary: If you know C++.
Rating: 3
Jargon filled, many references to other languages; if you know what you are doing is is probably a good book.
Check out INVENT YOUR OWN COMPUTER GAMES by Al Sweigart if you want a more gentle learning curve.
Summary: One of the greatest computer books of all time
Rating: 5
Python is a fast and easy to use language, though learning how to think in python, especially if coming from a more c-style language can take a while regardless of what book you're reading. This book won't help you with that. What it will do, is provide you with most (if not all) of the most-advanced features of python in a way that is really easy to digest for an intermediate/upper-beginner level python programmer. This book explains things that are not easy to find on the web or not apparent that they even exist in python (because, let's face it, python can be pretty magical at times). This book can be the catalyst that puts you well on your way to becoming an advanced python programmer. And all that from a tiny reference book!
Summary: Useless
Rating: 1
After reading the excellent C++ Pocket Reference, I decided that this book was worth a try, but I was disappointed.
The last half of this book is a list of module functions, that are MUCH more easily accessed thrugh the online documentation. I wish it was more a reference about the language than about the built-in modules. I don't remember (and I can't find it in the book index!) reading explicitly how to add an attribute to a class, or other language-specific operations.
Being a pocket reference, the language should be concise, but sometimes it is so obscure to be nearly incomprehensible.
Let me also point out that it is more than three years old, so it was not updated to cover Python 2.5, and of couse the upcoming 2.6 and 3.0. Furthermore it tries to cover many versions, with even some references to the 9-year old 1.5 release. I believe the latest would have been enough.
In no way this can replace the modules online documentation, not even as a quick reference.
Summary: Great reference - now with an index!
Rating: 5
I read various reviews complaining about the lack of an index. Well, it does have one now and it complements perfectly what is a fantastic quick reference for many of your Python needs, from built-in modules to regular expressions. Of course, it does not include the formal grammar of the language, a complete reference of libraries available or anything other than quick pointers for someone who already knows what Python is but is not a guru yet (although anyone can forget how to open a file from time to time).
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