Rating: 
Summary: Succinct Yet Thorough Intro To Python For Programmers
Review: Mark Lutz and David Ascher deliver precisely the needed information to meet the objective stated on the cover of the O'Reilly text, "Learning Python" (Help for Programmers).A succinct, yet thorough treatment of the Python programming language is presented in some 350-plus written pages that are well organized and facilitate the development of Python programs in a "Read and Code as You Go" fashion. After spot reading the Chapters on "Getting Started", "Types And Operators", "Basic Statements", "Functions", "Modules" and "Common Tasks In Python", I was coding and running my first text file I/O Python programs within the first half of a day. The authors concise presentation of the concepts definitely facilitated the "learning curve", which so often is an obstacle when learning a new programming language. The material was also indexed very well with clear index descriptions to easily determine what the topic was and where to find it. What I found to be the strongest point of the book were the "Gotchas" sections, in which the authors discussed topics such as Python Language Constructs, Program Class Usage and Coding Practices to be aware of. I found the "Common Coding Gotchas" section at the end of Chapter 3 of great benefit in coding and debugging my first self-authored Python programs (As I learned, Python is definitely a language where you want to indent consistently, avoid the mixing of blank spaces with tabs and not forget the use of colons to denote decision logic). The application of these concepts alone were a great asset in reducing the "Learning Curve" for me. The program examples provided reinforced the clear, concise concepts presented by the authors. The programs that I studied were suited to running in both a Linux environment (using Linux Python Version 1.5.2 for SuSE(tm) Linux 7.0 and Red Hat(tm) Linux 6.1) and MS Windows(tm) NT/98 (using Active State's Active Python(tm) Version 2.1). Exercises presented at the end of the chapter were effective at reinforcing the programming concepts presented. With some supplemental tutorial material for non-programmers, this book could be used as an educational text for a Python programming class, particularly one geared for programmers with scripting language experience. The authors did a good job of covering a number of topics important to application programmers. Object-oriented Constructs, Manipulation of String Objects, Operating System Module Use, GUI Programming Component Frameworks and Applications such as Tkinter and JPython are discussed to provide the reader a good exposure to the extent of the Python language implementation and its strenght as a robust, object-oriented scripting language. The book is definitely an invaluable resource for providing the essential material necessary to construct your first Python programs, especially if you've had prior programming experience with other scripting languages, such as REXX, Javascript or Perl. Definitely one of the best O'Reilly publications I've read to date. Kudos to Mr. Lutz and Mr. Ascher for their contribution to making the experience of "Learning Python" a fun and productive pursuit. Five Stars!
Rating:
Summary: Good even for experienced...
Review: I was a programmer for 15+ years and used Perl for 8 or so of those years, so although I'm a newcomer to Python I'm definitely not a newcomer to programming or to scripting languages. When I ordered this book, I was worried that it might be too basic, but the more advanced O'Reilly Python books have not been updated to Python 2.2/2.3, so I ordered Learning Python anyhow. And now that I've read it, I can highly recommend it even for experienced programmers. You will have to skim over basics in various chapters, but it's well-written and covers many topics, including 5-10 pages on 2.2's new-style classes, including static and class methods, instance slots, class properties, and __getattribute__. It refers you to Python's documentation for the details of complex topics, but still gives you an idea of the concepts in play. For example, after a couple of paragraphs on instance slots, it says, "... Slots are something of a break with Python's dynamic nature, which dictates that any name may be created by assignment. They also have additional constraints and implications that are far too complex for us to discuss here (e.g. some instances with slots may not have an attribute dictionary __dict__); see Python 2.2 release documents for details." Which I think is a good compromise. They don't fill the book with details, but they don't simply wave their hands and give you no clue as to issues outside the scope of the book. It is well-written and well-organized. It covers the core language well and gives a good taste for standard packages and many other tools including things like Pyrex and ctype. (And you won't be disappointed with Python itself. A great language!)
Rating:
Summary: Very clear text and organized structure
Review: I am a Windows .Net programmer who wanted to try some Linux programming (but console and GUI), and after a few frustated tries with C++, I finally found Python. Python is a _beautiful_ language, probably the most elegant I've ever seen since my days at university. This book is very well-written, although the pace might be a bit slow (if you prefer a "faster" but more superficial book, try the Python Quick Visual Startguide). The author is extremely clear and the text very well-organized. This book covers both the basics and the advanced stuff, so it might be all you need for a good while. Once you get familiar with the language basics, you might be able to learn the rest (such as GUI and web programming) through online tutorials.
Rating:
Summary: Succinct Yet Thorough Intro To Python For Programmers
Review: Mark Lutz and David Ascher deliver precisely the needed information to meet the objective stated on the cover of the O'Reilly text, "Learning Python" (Help for Programmers). A succinct, yet thorough treatment of the Python programming language is presented in some 350-plus written pages that are well organized and facilitate the development of Python programs in a "Read and Code as You Go" fashion. After spot reading the Chapters on "Getting Started", "Types And Operators", "Basic Statements", "Functions", "Modules" and "Common Tasks In Python", I was coding and running my first text file I/O Python programs within the first half of a day. The authors concise presentation of the concepts definitely facilitated the "learning curve", which so often is an obstacle when learning a new programming language. The material was also indexed very well with clear index descriptions to easily determine what the topic was and where to find it. What I found to be the strongest point of the book were the "Gotchas" sections, in which the authors discussed topics such as Python Language Constructs, Program Class Usage and Coding Practices to be aware of. I found the "Common Coding Gotchas" section at the end of Chapter 3 of great benefit in coding and debugging my first self-authored Python programs (As I learned, Python is definitely a language where you want to indent consistently, avoid the mixing of blank spaces with tabs and not forget the use of colons to denote decision logic). The application of these concepts alone were a great asset in reducing the "Learning Curve" for me. The program examples provided reinforced the clear, concise concepts presented by the authors. The programs that I studied were suited to running in both a Linux environment (using Linux Python Version 1.5.2 for SuSE(tm) Linux 7.0 and Red Hat(tm) Linux 6.1) and MS Windows(tm) NT/98 (using Active State's Active Python(tm) Version 2.1). Exercises presented at the end of the chapter were effective at reinforcing the programming concepts presented. With some supplemental tutorial material for non-programmers, this book could be used as an educational text for a Python programming class, particularly one geared for programmers with scripting language experience. The authors did a good job of covering a number of topics important to application programmers. Object-oriented Constructs, Manipulation of String Objects, Operating System Module Use, GUI Programming Component Frameworks and Applications such as Tkinter and JPython are discussed to provide the reader a good exposure to the extent of the Python language implementation and its strenght as a robust, object-oriented scripting language. The book is definitely an invaluable resource for providing the essential material necessary to construct your first Python programs, especially if you've had prior programming experience with other scripting languages, such as REXX, Javascript or Perl. Definitely one of the best O'Reilly publications I've read to date. Kudos to Mr. Lutz and Mr. Ascher for their contribution to making the experience of "Learning Python" a fun and productive pursuit. Five Stars!
Rating: 
Summary: Major disappointment
Review: Having programmed before (in dBase, COBOL, etc.) I expected to be able to follow a book that's intended for less-experienced programmers. Boy, was I mistaken. This would probably be a fine book for someone who is migrating from C++, but I found many of their explanations needlessly cryptic. They use, in all of the examples, phrases from Monty Python - understandable, but totally useless for someone who wishes to relate functions to real-life application. In short - if you've already mastered C, this book may help. If you have minimal or no programming experience, this book will show you how to perform functions, but will not explain what you'd want to use these functions for in application programming.
Rating:
Summary: Utterly Boring :-(((
Review: I liked the first edition of this book, which gave a decent
inroduction into Python at a little more than 300 pages. When the
2nd edition came out I ordered a copy blindly, because I expected
a lot more information on latest Python features and modules from
its 580 pages. However, this book disappointed me very much. The
presentation of Python basics has been bloated so much that it
just bored me to death. For example, it takes Mr Lutz 189 pages
and 11 chapters to get to functions basics, which is twice as
much as in the first edition (now compare this to 24 pages in
Kernighan/Ritchie's C-book). On the other hand, there are only a
couple of pages on new-style classes. I cannot imagine an
experienced programmer who likes to sift through all that fluff.
I am also wondering if this book is exciting for newbies, but
maybe todays newbies are different. This book reminds me a lot of
"Programming Python" (by the same author), which I also hated for
its tediuos and bloated style.
Rating:
Summary: A great place to start
Review: This is an excellent place to start learning Python. The authors are very knowlegable and have obviously read and understood big chunks of the Python source code. Still, with all of that knowledge, they move at a good pace for learning (not too quickly or too slowly). I recommend this book as a great starting place for learning Python. To pick nits, the authors (or perhaps the editors) need to learn the difference between affect (the verb) and effect (the noun). They use effect throughout, even when it is being used as a verb. Also, I was somewhat disappointed with Tkinter, but this probably wasn't the fault of the authors. It's a big subject, and this book is more about teaching core concepts. With regard to big add-on libraries, such as Tkinter, this book is more about whetting your appetite. Knowing that such add-ons are there is half the battle, and the book accomplishes that, in addition to great coverage of core concepts. I think my disappointment related to Tkinter had more to do with Python than the book. Python (the language) seems terrific for thin-client, browser-based development (CGIs), but not quite ready for prime time GUIs.
Rating:
Summary: Probably the best Python textbook
Review: After a brief encounter with the on-line documentation from Python community, I decided to learn this powerful language with the help of Python library from O'Reilly. I started with a "Python in a Nutshell" which is a good reference guide for experienced (Python) programmers, however it's too heavy for the Python newbie like me. Since, I'm not a professional, full-time programmer, I knew that I needed something more comprehensible, so I waited for the second edition of the "Learning Python" to be published. At the end, the wait paid off.
This book is excellent study guide for any kind of programmers, from absolute beginners to veterans in other languages. The book clearly shows that the both authors are experienced teachers. Topics are presented in a clear fashion with plenty of code samples and useful exercises at the end of each part. This book should be read as a textbook in front of the terminal, trying out all examples as they're explained.
Now, I'm comfortably looking forward to read some more specific and advanced Python books. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide to learning python for beginners+
Review: I have the 1st edition of this book published in 1999. the 2004 edition is improved in numerous ways and offers excellent examples, thorough explanations and a more gentle learning curve than any other programming book I have ever read. I generally use Python to interface with linux/unix for scripting. I find it MUCH beter than perl for this. the minute I am done with a perl script, my understanding of it begins to deteriorate. Python is just the opposite. Full OOP makes code reuse a reality. clean, understandable syntax makes code I wrote 6 months ago easy to fire up and understand. This is an excellent book. If you are interested in Python, get it.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Perl or Tcl or shell scripts
Review: It gives a thorough description of how to use Python; which is indeed easy to learn if you already know another language. But when the authors say that not having to compile Python programs means that development time is speeded up, perhaps they are overstating. For most programmers who use compiled languages like C or C++, the biggest time is taken up in finding a method that solves a problem, coding it and subsequent debugging. These days, compilers on recent hardware are fast enough that link/compile times are simply not a bottleneck to development productivity. So it is a bit of a straw dummy that the authors put forth. However, they are absolutely spot on when comparing this to Perl or Tcl. Perl is powerful, but its code looks like assembler. Perl gurus tend to shrug when you point this out, usually saying they understand it, with the not-so-implicit suggestion that if you can't, it is your fault. But this leads to a real maintenance problem and a barrier to entry to others. The cleaner Python syntax can show coding intent far clearer. Plus, and more importantly, the object oriented nature of Python lets you scale up to much larger programs. This has always been a problem with scripting languages, all the way back to the various unix shell scripts and DOS bat files. Often, the most those ever gave you in terms of modular capabilities was the equivalent of subroutines. Which is strictly procedural and not OO. By the way, there is a small contradiction between the above claim that Python is more understandable than Perl and the claim that it has an advantage over C++ or Java because it is not as verbose as those. Typically, in increasing amount of source code, you have Perl -> Python -> (C++,Java). If you think that Python is more understandable than Perl, then by that same logic, we could conclude that C++ or Java is more understandable than Python. So if you are using Perl or Tcl and want something better, Python is a good choice. A good upgrade path. But if you are currently using C or C++, with maybe X for graphics, or Java, then I suggest you stay with those. All three languages, with their graphics, give you a far richer toolset. Python would be a retrograde choice.
| 
