Python Essential Reference - Softcover

Python Essential Reference, Second Edition, is the definitive guide to the Python programming language. Designed for programmers, it covers the core language, more than 100 modules in the standard library, and the techniques used to extend Python with compiled procedures in C or C++. Coverage expands upon and clarifies existing Python documentation - especially for advanced topics, including operating system interfaces, threads, network programming, and Unicode. Concise, to the point, and extensively indexed, readers will find this volume packed with information not previously available in any other single reference source. Updated for Python 2.1, it is a must-have for any serious programmer wanting to develop advanced Python applications. As a comprehensive reference to the Python programming language, this book will help you: Learn about the features in Python 2.0 and 2.1 Master the details of Python types, operators, and the execution model Discover the details of Unicode and internationalization support Learn the details of operating system interfaces, threads, and network-programming modules Build C/C++ extensions to Python Make effective use of the Python library Find the information you need to start developing advanced Python applications

David M. Beazley is the developer of SWIG, a popular software package for integrating C programs with interpreted languages including Python, Perl, and Tcl. He has been actively involved with the Python community since 1996 and is currently working on projects related to mixed-mode debugging of scripting language extensions. Dave spent seven years working in the Theoretical Physics Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he helped pioneer the use of Python with high-performance simulation software running on parallel computers. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Chicago, where he enjoys tormenting students with insane programming projects in operating systems, networks, and compilers courses. He can be reached at beazley@cs.uchicago.edu.