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Programming Python
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List Price: $59.99
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Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 005.133
EAN: 9780596009250
Format: Illustrated
ISBN: 0596009259
Label: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 1596
Publication Date: 2006-08-23
Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Studio: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Very big, not always very useful.
Comment: Very big, not always very useful. I find in this book a brevity of many things that deserve more space and too much space allocated to many things. The book has an intro section on Stepping up to OOP; looks promising but then immediately leads you down the track of adding persistence and on to using OOP for GUIs. To me, this is not a well thought out approach. Think the reader would have been better served with an overview of OOP in use in Python, expanding the concept generically to OOP and then referring to some specialized instance of where OOP either comes in real handy or is a must. Part III GUI Programming is pretty much a mess. Granted I think it is a good idea to have a basic idea of Tkinter - but there is more out there that I would rather read about. I also think a book of this size should have some inclusion of Agile Development concepts, a section on Refactoring, etc. With all the subjects, just about any framework or methodology would be a prudent interlude to help congeal the sprawl of information. I am also a little biased toward scientific programming, but think many readers would appreciate an intro to numpy, pytables, or at least a simple primer on array manipulation and how it can extend the basic functionality of python and take it to a new level. I find, more often than not, that I have reached for this book and then gone back to something that is supposedly marketed as "more basic" like Learning Python or the Python Cookbook and get more what I am looking for there. Come on, something like XML processing deserves more than 3 pages of reference and if you are decked out at over 1500 pages it just seems like the book's priorities are amiss.
Customer Rating:
Summary: this book sucks
Comment: Whenever I try to look something up about Python with this book, I end up using Google. this book is *horrible*. Lutz must be the ultimate geek nerd.
Instead of things in the table of contents like "strings", "regular expressions", "maps" - you have "Here's Looking at You, Kid!" or "Roses are red, violets are blue". Does this guy put flowers in his hair and dance barefoot in a park?
Instead of short examples, he starts writing a program; you have to study it and keep reading in order to keep up. A total disrespect for one's time.
The topics he presents are obscure, unnecessary, or have no consistent audience: What's OOP?; moving stacks to C modules; and endless discussion about GUIs.
This book has 1 readeeming quality: FIREWOOD.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but not useful
Comment: This is not a terrible book, but I don't know what it's good for. The code examples are too long. This reminds me of the old programming tomes from the days before CD-ROMs and the Internet, where all details had to be shown in print. There is just too much code. If you find a chapter that matches exactly what you are trying to accomplish, then maybe this book is good for you. It is vastly improved in readability over the first edition, but The Python Cookbook is a much smarter purchase (even though part of that is available online).
If you are just trying to learn Python, then Lutz's other book, Learning Python, is an excellent choice.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good enough I suppose
Comment: One thing I really wish O'Reilly would have made clear on the cover is the version of Python which was current at the time of publication. In this case, it's 2.4, so if you're looking for information on things like function decorators or the new generator abilities that 2.5 brought along, you're going to be as disappointed as I was.
Aside from the fact that some of the information is dated, it's still a good overview of practical solutions to realistic problems which can be solved in the language. It does tend to spend way too much time developing TkInter GUIs (which I do not personally care about one bit) and overusing the usual array of extremely unfunny Monty Python references (which I personally stopped caring about around 1984). If you cut out both of these things the book would probably require about half as much paper per copy, and it'd be a good deal more digestible to boot. There's also lots of Windows-specific silliness and the author continues to operate under the assumption that OS X does not exist (every mention of the Mac platform refers to information that hasn't been accurate for nearly 10 years at this point).
Customer Rating:
Summary: My biggest Python book, and my least used Python book
Comment: I bought this book a few years ago, and I think I have finally given up getting anything of use out of it. It has been with me through my entire Python learning experience, so you might think there would be a point at which I would have found it useful, even if that may not presently be the case. Unfortunately, I can say that this is easily the least useful Python book I own. In fact, out of the 6 or so Python books I own, it is the only one I wouldn't miss a bit.
It's just that it never seems to have anything even close to relevant for me, when I'm working on something. I can remember several times where I thought to myself, "What's a good way to solve this problem in Python?", or, "Where can I get some background on why Python does things this way?". Invariably I have either found the answer in one of my other Python books, or on the web. It's not that I haven't tried to like the book, in fact each time a problem comes up, I think "well ok if the book can shed some light on this for me, I'll consider it a value", and yet after 3 years... nothing.
Anyway, I don't want to be all negativity, so to anybody reading this, here are the other Python books I have gotten more value out of:
The Quick Python Book by Harms/McDonald (Old, and yet, still really valuable beginning book)
Python Essential Reference by Beazley (A great reference book)
Python Cookbook by Martelli et al (what Programming Python seems like it wants to be, but in half the size and twice the value)
Python Standard Library (I don't use this much, but it still has some value)
Python in a Nutshell (I think that's the name, it's at work right now. Another decent reference)
Finally, it pretty much goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. This is just my experience. I am sure this book has been right on the money for other readers, and that's great, but for me, I think I may be donating this behemoth to my local library soon.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Already the industry standard for Python users, "Programming Python" from O'Reilly just got even better. This third edition has been updated to reflect current best practices and the abundance of changes introduced by the latest version of the language, Python 2.5. Whether you're a novice or an advanced practitioner, you'll find this refreshed book more than lives up to its reputation. "Programming Python," 3rd Edition, teaches you the right way to code. It explains Python language syntax and programming techniques in a clear and concise manner, with numerous examples that illustrate both correct usage and common idioms. By reading this comprehensive guide, you'll learn how to apply Python in real-world problem domains such as: GUI programming Internet scripting Parallel processing Database management Networked applications "Programming Python," Third Edition covers each of these target domains gradually, beginning with in-depth discussions of core concepts and then progressing toward complete programs. Large examples do appear, but only after you've learned enough to understand their techniques and code. Along the way, you'll also learn how to use the Python language in realistically scaled programs--concepts such as Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and code reuse are recurring side themes throughout this text. If you're interested in Python programming, then this O'Reilly classic needs to be within arm's reach. The wealth of practical advice, snippets of code, and patterns of program design can all be put into use on a daily basis--making your life easier and more productive. Reviews of the second edition: ,,"."about as comprehensive as any book can be.""
--Dr.Dobb's Journal ""If the language had manuals, they would undoubtedly be the texts from O'Reilly...'Learning Python' and 'Programming Python' are definitive treatments.""
--SD Times
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