Beginning Python : Using Python 2.6 and Python 3.1

Beginning Python: Using Python 2.6 and Python 3.1 introduces this open source, portable, interpreted, object-oriented programming language that combines remarkable power with clear syntax. This book enables you to quickly create robust, reliable, and reusable Python applications by teaching the basics so you can quickly develop Web and scientific applications, incorporate databases, and master systems tasks on various operating systems, including Linux, MAC OS, and Windows. You'll get a comprehensive tutorial that guides you from writing simple, basic Python scripts all the way through complex concepts, and also features a reference of the standard modules with examples illustrating how to implement features in the various modules. Plus, the book covers using Python in specific program development domains, such as XML, databases, scientific applications, network programming, and Web development. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. Beginning Python: Using Python 2.6 and Python 3.1 About the Author Credits Acknowledgments Contents Introduction Who This Book Is For What This Book Covers How This Book Is Structured What You Need to Use This Book Conventions Source Code Errata p2p.wrox.com Part I: Dipping Your Toe into Python Chapter 1: Programming Basics and Strings How Programming is Different from Using a Computer The First Steps Beginning to Use Python—Strings Putting Two Strings Together Putting Strings Together in Different Ways Summary Exercises Chapter 2: Numbers and Operators Different Kinds of Numbers Program Files Using Numbers Summary Exercises Chapter 3: Variables—Names for Values Referring to Data—Using Names for Data Using More Built-in Types Other Common Sequence Properties Summary Exercises Part II: Python Language and the Standard Library Chapter 4: Making Decisions Comparing Values—Are They the Same? Doing the Opposite—Not Equal Comparing Values—Which One Is More? Reversing True and False Looking for the Results of More Than One Comparison Repetition Handling Errors Summary Exercises Chapter 5: Functions Putting Your Program into Its Own File Functions: Grouping Code under a Name Layers of Functions Summary Exercises Chapter 6: Classes and Objects Thinking About Programming Defining a Class Summary Exercises Chapter 7: Organizing Programs Modules Packages Modules and Packages Basics of Testing Your Modules and Packages Summary Exercises Chapter 8: Files and Directories File Objects Paths and Directories Exceptions in os Summary Exercises Chapter 9: Other Features of the Language Lambda and Filter: Short Anonymous Functions Map: Short-Circuiting Loops Decisions within Lists—List Comprehension Generating Iterators for Loops Special String Substitution Using Dictionaries Featured Modules Summary Exercises Chapter 10: Building a Module Exploring Modules Creating Modules and Packages Working with Classes Finishing Your Modules Creating a Whole Module Installing Your Modules Summary Exercises Chapter 11: Text Processing Why Text Processing Is So Useful Navigating the File System with the os Module Working with Regular Expressions and the re Module Summary Exercises Part III: Putting Python to Work Chapter 12: Testing Assertions Test Cases and Test Suites Test Fixtures Putting It All Together with Extreme Programming Formal Testing in the Software Life Cycle Summary Chapter 13: Writing a GUI with Python GUI Programming Toolkits for Python Tkinter Introduction Creating GUI Widgets with Tkinter Summary Exercises Chapter 14: Accessing Databases Working with DBM Persistent Dictionaries Working with Relational Databases Using the Python Database APIs Summary Exercises Chapter 15: Using Python for XML What Is XML? What Is a Schema/DTD? Document Type Definitions Schemas XPath HTML as a Subset of XML XML Libraries Available for Python What Is SAX? Why Use SAX or DOM SAX and DOM Parsers Available for Python Intro to XSLT What Is lxml? Element Classes Parsing with lxml Summary Exercises Chapter 16: Network Programming Understanding Protocols Sending Internet E-mail Retrieving Internet E-mail Socket Programming Other Topics Summary Exercises Chapter 17: Extension Programming with C Extension Module Outline Building and Installing Extension Modules Passing Parameters from Python to C Returning Values from C to Python The LAME Project The LAME Extension Module Using Python Objects from C Code Summary Exercises Chapter 18: Numerical Programming Numbers in Python Mathematics Complex Numbers Arrays Summary Exercises Chapter 19: An Introduction to Django What Are Frameworks and Why Would I Use One? Other Features of Web Frameworks Django—How It All Began Understanding Django’s Architecture Working with Templates Using Templates and Views Creating a Model: Creating an Application Summary Exercises Chapter 20: Web Applications and Web Services REST: The Architecture of the Web HTTP: Real-World REST CGI: Turning Scripts into Web Applications HTML Forms’ Limited Vocabulary Safety When Accessing Form Values Building a Wiki Web Services REST Web Services XML-RPC SOAP Documenting Your Web Service API Choosing a Web Service Standard Web Service Etiquette Summary Exercises Chapter 21: Integrating Java with Python Scripting within Java Applications Comparing Python Implementations Installing Jython Running Jython Running Jython on Your Own Packaging Jython-Based Applications Integrating Java and Jython Testing from Jython Embedding the Jython Interpreter Handling Differences between C-Python and Jython Summary Exercises Part IV: Appendices Appendix A: Answers to the Exercises Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Appendix B: Online Resources Software For More Information Appendix C: What’s New in Python 3.1 Print Is Now a Function Certain APIs Return Views and Iterators Integers Unicode and 8-bit Exceptions Classes Comparisons, Operators, and Methods Syntactical Changes Packages and Modules Builtins The 2to3 Tool Appendix D: Glossary Index Explains the basics of quickly developing Web and scientific applications, incorporating databases, and mastering systems tasks on various operating systems, in a guide that also covers basic scripts and standard modules in specific program development domains.