first book about python

[IOANNIS MANOLOUDIS]

I want to learn python.
I plan to buy a book. I always find printed material more convenient than
reading on-line tutorials.
I don't know PERL or any other scripting language. I only know some BASH
programming. I am looking for a book which will help me get started and
should contain the foundations. I am not looking for the Python bible.
Any recommendations?
Ioannis

 

[Philippe Martin]

I don't know, if I were the genious that made up Python I would not believe
in any bible (small b)

 

[gregarican]

Try "Learning Python" which is part of the O'Reilly series of books
they publish on computer programming. It's a good start. Most public
library systems have copies you can check out, and most larger
bookstores have it. Otherwise there's always Amazon.Com. Welcome to
Python and enjoy!

 

[Cameron Laird]

I want to learn python.
I plan to buy a book. I always find printed material more convenient than
reading on-line tutorials.
I don't know PERL or any other scripting language. I only know some BASH
programming. I am looking for a book which will help me get started and
should contain the foundations. I am not looking for the Python bible.
Any recommendations?
Ioannis

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/msg/3539b0fbd9c04db8

http://groups.google.com/groups?as_...0&scoring=d&hl=en&as_ugroup=comp.lang.python*

http://diveintopython.org/

 

[tac-tics]

I don't know, if I were the genious that made up Python I would not believe
in any bible (small b)

Take it to alt.religion please.

I want to learn python.
I plan to buy a book. I always find printed material more convenient than
reading on-line tutorials.

I had the same problem as you. I heard lots of good things about
Python, but was unable to sit myself down in front of my computer long
enough to learn it. So I picked up a copy of Learning Python and read
the entire thing in a night.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596002815/ref=pd_bxgy_img_b/002-4705377-6120028?ie=UTF8

I'm sorry I can't really do a comparison between different books, this
being the only one I bought, but it got me to the point where I could
start playing with code and reading the online documentation (which is
superb).

Coming from a relatively strong background in Java and C++, this book
was very easy to digest. The book is not a "teaching programming" book,
so unless you have experience in at least one real language programming
language, it might not be worth your time.

My only complaint about this book is the confusing way it presenting
Python's OOP model and the way they present for loops (they make it
sound like for loops are 100 times slower than in Java or C++... They
don't get the actual point across effectively, that they are just
different.)

 

[BartlebyScrivener]

I always find printed material more convenient than
If you are sure you want a book and not online tutorials, then it's
important that you have many code examples which include both the
statements and the results. You may like Chris Fehily's Python Visual
Quickstart Guide for this.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0201748843/inscape-20/

It's long in the tooth (only covers up to 2.2 and doesn't get too much
into OO), but it features abundant examples running in columns right
alongside lucid explanations of how Python works.

rd

 

[crystalattice]

I want to learn python.
I plan to buy a book. I always find printed material more convenient than
reading on-line tutorials.
I don't know PERL or any other scripting language. I only know some BASH
programming. I am looking for a book which will help me get started and
should contain the foundations. I am not looking for the Python bible.
Any recommendations?
Ioannis

I started out w/ "Learning Python" from O'Reilly which is good for a nice,
general overview of the language but I wanted something more detailed. I
found the "Python Learn to Program" textbook from Deitel & Deitel to be
very good. It's based on v2.2 but it still has practical use. Since it's
a text book it has many examples and small problems to try as you develop
your skills. If you can find it used online you should be able to get it
<$40.

 

[Paul Rubin]

I plan to buy a book. I always find printed material more convenient than
reading on-line tutorials.

Why not print out the on-line tutorial and read the hardcopy?

 

[Jake Emerson]

There have been lots of recommendations for the O'Reilly book, which is
a good one. However, I would recommend "Beginning Python" by Magnus Lie
Hetland. All I knew before starting Python was Mathematica, and this
book was very helpful. It may seem to start out slow, but I've found
that I'm going back to those first chapters occasionally to review and
practice the syntax. It, and this group, have carried me through some
pretty tough problems (for me anyway). It's been worth it. Good luck.

Jake

 

[Alex Martelli]

There have been lots of recommendations for the O'Reilly book, which is
a good one. However, I would recommend "Beginning Python" by Magnus Lie
Hetland. All I knew before starting Python was Mathematica, and this
book was very helpful. It may seem to start out slow, but I've found
that I'm going back to those first chapters occasionally to review and
practice the syntax. It, and this group, have carried me through some
pretty tough problems (for me anyway). It's been worth it. Good luck.

Hetland's books are excellent, particularly if you like to learn by
example -- I believe the current one "Practical Python" is meant to
supersede the earlier "Beginning Python" (but I'm not sure).


Alex

 

[Vittorio]

I read almost every published book about Python and I found Magnus'
"Beginning Python" the best book to start with. As Alex said it is
particularly appreciated by those who like learning by examples and by "try
and error": it is actually the opposite to what Alex believed as "Beginning
Python" is meant to be a sort of update of the previous book "Practical
Python".

In addition and maybe before of Magnus book I would suggest "A byte of
Python" http://www.byteofpython.info/ the best fast introduction to Python I
have ever seen.

 

[Aahz]

I want to learn python.
I plan to buy a book. I always find printed material more convenient than
reading on-line tutorials.
I don't know PERL or any other scripting language. I only know some BASH
programming. I am looking for a book which will help me get started and
should contain the foundations. I am not looking for the Python bible.
Any recommendations?

If you're willing to wait 1.5 months, _Python for Dummies_ will be the
first book that really covers Python 2.5. (Alex's _Python in a Nutshell_
does cover some of Python 2.5, but there were a fair number of late
changes that came after he needed to turn it in, most notably the
inclusion of sqlite3. It's also not a beginner book.)

 

[IOANNIS MANOLOUDIS]

I thank everybody for your replies.
I think I'll get Hertland's book since it's newer than O'reillys.
I don't want to become a programmer. Neither Python is part of my studies.
I've finished with my studies. I want to become a Unix/Linux admin and
knowledge of either Python or Perl is an asset.
Do you think that this book is the right one for me?
Ioannis

 

[Alex Martelli]

If you're willing to wait 1.5 months, _Python for Dummies_ will be the
first book that really covers Python 2.5. (Alex's _Python in a Nutshell_
does cover some of Python 2.5, but there were a fair number of late
changes that came after he needed to turn it in, most notably the
inclusion of sqlite3. It's also not a beginner book.)

I confirm on both scores: the Nutshell is not meant for beginners to
programming (it _may_ be used by experienced programmers whose
experience comes from other languages, but it may be a stretch even for
them, depending on what "other languages" are exactly); and, the new 2nd
edition of the Nutshell does not cover well the big additions to Python
2.5's standard library (ctypes and etree, as well as sqlite) -- it
barely _mentions_ them as late-breaking developments, with pointers to
online docs. Stef's and Aahz's "for Dummies" will be a good book for
beginners (many people have prejudices against the whole "for Dummies"
series, perhaps exactly because of their titles!, but, really, there ARE
many good books in that series, if you can just accept the titles as
well-natured, innocuous humor!) -- I only looked at a subset of its
chapters, so I don't know in particular how well it teaches sqlite,
ctypes and etree, but the materials I _did_ look at were excellent.


Alex

 

[Alex Martelli]

I thank everybody for your replies.
I think I'll get Hertland's book since it's newer than O'reillys.
I don't want to become a programmer. Neither Python is part of my studies.
I've finished with my studies. I want to become a Unix/Linux admin and
knowledge of either Python or Perl is an asset.

Knowledge of _both_ languages is even better for this specific task:
many existing sysadm scripts are in Perl, and you may well be working
side by side with other, more senior admis who are dyed-in-the-wool Perl
hackers (since Perl is so very popular with that crowd).

Do you think that this book is the right one for me?

Actually, particularly if you have any interest at all in possibly
working in a mixed-platforms environment (including some Macs and/or
Windows boxes as well as Linux), you might be better served by
<http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/perlsysadm/> -- at least if you accept
my suggestion to get SOME familiarity with Perl as well as with Python.

Yes, Perl IS harder to learn, BUT -- if you've already decided to learn
both languages, starting with the harder one need not be a bad idea (the
Romans' legions, back when they were the best soldiers in the world,
trained with armor and weapons *heavier* than the ones they actually
used in the field -- being used to heavier stuff gave them more agility
and stamina when it most mattered, in battle and on long marches!-).


Alex

 

[Paul Rubin]

Yes, Perl IS harder to learn, BUT -- if you've already decided to learn
both languages, starting with the harder one need not be a bad idea (the
Romans' legions, back when they were the best soldiers in the world,

"Learning Perl" is actually a very well-written book for beginning
programmers. The only thing wrong with it is it's about Perl...

 

[IOANNIS MANOLOUDIS]

I guess it's better to wait for the for dummies book.
I should focus instead in taking the LPIC-2 exams in September.
Ioannis

 

[gene tani]

I want to learn python.
I plan to buy a book. I always find printed material more convenient than
reading on-line tutorials.
I don't know PERL or any other scripting language. I only know some BASH
programming. I am looking for a book which will help me get started and
should contain the foundations. I am not looking for the Python bible.
Any recommendations?
Ioannis

Printed: Magnus Hetland's latest book, the Wrox book and OReilly
Learning Python are all good. Chun's "Core Python" will be updated and
released soon, that will be good too.

Tutorials on Awaretek.com
http://awaretek.com/tutorials.html
cause it's always good to see something explained different ways.

 

[Steve Holden]

Take it to alt.religion please.

Take it to alt.narrow-mondedness please.

regards
Steve

 

[gregarican]

Learning Python, Perl, or Ruby would help you create admin scripts that
would save you lots of manual work. For me automated log file alerting,
SQL query parsing, SQL table updates, Internet file
uploading/downloading, etc. has been a huge plus. Perl is likely the
most widely used in terms of existing scripts that you can review,
modify, borrow ideas from, etc.

But from a long term maintainability and readability standpoint I would
recommend Python or Ruby over Perl. Just my $0.02...