Core Python Programming

Welcome toCore Python Programming! We are delighted that you have engaged us to help you learn Python as quickly and as in-depth as possible. Learning the syntax is one goal of this book; however we also believe that if you learn how Python works under the covers, you won't just be able to program in Python, but you will write more effective Python applications, even as a beginner. As you know, just because you learn a language's syntax does not make you competent in it right away. Throughout the book, you will find many examples that you can try right in front of your computer. To hammer the concepts home, you will also find fun and challenging exercises at the end of every chapter. These easy and intermediate exercises are meant to test your learning and push your Python skills. There simply is no substitute for experience. We believe not only should you pick up Python programming skills but also be able to master it in as short a time period as possible. About This Book This book differs from other Python books on the market by presenting a broad range of topics, providing numerous examples, and going in-depth where necessary. This book does not require a specific background, such as prior knowledge of C or object-oriented programming. It is also not a large case study book, which does not facilitate picking up the language quickly. Finally, this book is not a pure reference nor is it meant to be a quick ''dive'' into Python. What we have is an extremely comprehensive introduction to the core features of the language followed by a set of chapters which delve into specific areas of intermediate Python programming. This book is 40% introductory, 40% intermediate to advanced, and 20% reference, targeted toward technical professionals who are already familiar with programming in one other high-level language, including university/college and secondary students. Because Python is used in larger solutions such as Zope, Plone, MailMan, and Django, this book may be used by principals developing, managing, maintaining, or integrating with those systems. About the Reader This book is meant for you if you are a programmer completely new to Python or if you already know some Python but want to know more and improve your Python skillset. Python is used in many fields, including engineering, information technology, science, business, entertainment, and so on. This means that the list of Python users (and readers of this book) includes but is not limited to Software engineers Hardware design/CAD engineers QA/testing and automation framework developers IS/IT/system and network administrators Scientists and mathematicians Technical or project management Multimedia or audio/visual engineers SCM or release engineers Webmasters and content management staff Customer/technical support engineers Database engineers and administrators Research and development engineers Software integration and professional services staff Collegiate and secondary educators Web service engineers Financial software engineers And many others Some of the most famous companies using Python include Google, Yahoo!, NASA, Lucasfilm/Industrial Light and Magic, Red Hat, Zope, Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks. About the Author I discovered Python over a decade ago at a company called Four11. At the time, the company had one major product, the Four11.com White Page directory service. At the time, Python was being used to design our next product: the Rocketmail Web-based e-mail service that would eventually evolve into what is Yahoo!Mail today. It was fun learning Python and being on the original Yahoo!Mail engineerin