Author: Mark Lutz

Format: Paperback, 1212 pages

Publisher: O'Reilly Media; Annotated edition (October 2, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0596158068

ISBN-13: 978-0596158064



by James Pyles



I just wrote a review for Linux in a Nutshell, 6th Edition and commented that it seemed as if each successive edition acquired more pages. In the Linux book's case, it isn't true, but it is true in the case of Lutz's book. In fact, between the 3rd and current edition, the book has expanded some 466 pages. Good grief, what accounts for such growth?



I know what you're thinking. The book's cover announces that it covers both Python 2.6 and 3.x. Firing up Python on Ubuntu 9.04 (no, I haven't upgraded to Karmic Koala yet...give me a few days), brings up Python 2.6.2, but on Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (I need LTS on my production machine), I access Python 2.5.2, so a lot of "growing" has taken place recently. The Python 3.x changes are sprinkled throughout the later chapters of the book, so don't expect entire sections dedicated to just that version. This book remains dedicated to teaching the Python programming language from the ground up, and doesn't separate chapters or sections by version number. If you need a book that's focused on Python 3.x, I'd suggest Programming in Python 3: A Complete Introduction to the Python Language. Lutz's book also points out the information that's changed for 2.6.



Learning Python is really the first half of the Python experience provided by O'Reilly. This book is meant to teach you about Python as a language. The second half, Programming Python, also written by Lutz, picks up where Learning Python leaves off, and teaches you how to use Python as a programmer, rather than a student.



According to the Preface section, Learning Python is based on a "three-day Python training class with quizzes and exercises throughout..." While the beginning chapters are exceedingly basic, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book for someone as their first programming experience, particularly if you plan to teach yourself programming in general and Python in specific. Three-day programming seminars are usually meant to teach experienced programmers a new language, not to teach wannabe programmers how to program. Although the "indicator" on the book's back cover says "Introductory" and "No previous experience is required", unless you are "wired" to pick up programming easily, you're going to need help learning programming and Python from this book if you've never programmed before. Even the author writes, "I have found that any exposure to programming or scripting before this book can be helpful, even if not required for every reader." Maybe not for "every" reader, but probably for many.



While it's true that the end of most chapters contains a summary and a "Test Your Knowledge" section, the tests don't require that you actually practice programming. True, the chapters do come equipped with numerous code examples, but the only "end-of-topic" test exercises come at the end of each section of the book. That seems a little too infrequent to practice new learning and I would have preferred exercises at the end of each chapter.



I did like the extensive "what's new" information in the Preface. It didn't make me guess what was added to this book or force me into a great deal of page turning to find it. I did want to find the online code examples and the Preface promised that they were available on the book's webpage at O'Reilly, along with the exercise solutions (the end-of-section solutions are also in an appendix at the end of the book). However, when I got to the page in question, I couldn't find a link that said "code samples" or "exercise solutions" or anything similar. I tried registering my book to see if that would help, but got an error that didn't seem associated with any mistake I made in entering my data: "Validate failed because the root element had no associated DTD/schema.] from input XML: 300 ECOMM 300 - Stored Procedure Error. Stored Procedure threw an error". I can't blame a technical problem on the author or publisher, but I still couldn't find what I was looking for. Any help would be appreciated. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right place.



As I have come to expect from an O'Reilly publication of this type, you are taught how to install and invoke Python on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X machines. Most Linux distros come with Python already installed, so it's just a matter of opening up a shell, typing "Python", and pressing Enter. Chapter 3 spends some time informing the reader how to run the book's code examples in both the shell and in IDLE, Python's default development environment. If IDLE doesn't suit you, other IDEs are listed, but if you are indeed a beginner, I'd suggest sticking to the basics, at least at first.



As with many such books, some beginning readers will need to visit the end of the book early on. In this case, Appendix A has the information for how to check your computer to see if Python is present, where to get Python if it isn't, configuring Python, locating IDLE, and so on.



The size of the book could be a problem, depending on your intent and whether or not big books just plain intimidate you. For someone learning Python to learn beginning programming, the amount of content is "overkill" to say the least. If you want to use Python as an "entry-level" language to learning programming, you might be better off choosing Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python, which is meant to be used in a "beginning programming" classroom setting, but can be used for self study in a pinch. On the other hand, if you have at least some experience in scripting or programming, you want to add Python to your knowledge base, and plan to use it for practical development, Learning Python is a fine book to add to your library.

Title: Learning Python, 4th Edition
Category: Programming
Sub-Category: Programming Books
Author: James Pyles
Added: November 1st 2009
Viewed: 7264 Times
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