Preface
P
ython is an object-oriented, interpreted programming language useful for a
wide range of tasks, from small scripts to entire applications. It is freely avail-
able in binary or source code form and can be used royalty-free on all major plat-
forms including Windows, Macintosh, Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris.
Compared with most programming languages, Python is very easy to learn and is
considered by many to be the language of choice for beginning programmers.
Instead of outgrowing the language, however, experienced developers enjoy lower
maintenance costs without missing out on any features found in other major lan-
guages such as C++, Java, or Perl.
Python is well known for its usefulness as a rapid application development tool,
and we often hear of Python projects that finish in hours or days instead of the
weeks or months that would have been required with traditional programming lan-
guages. It boasts a rich, full-featured set of standard libraries as well as the ability
to interface with libraries in other languages like C++.
Despite being incredibly powerful and enabling very rapid application develop-
ment, the real reason we love to use Python is that it’s just plain fun. Python is like a
lever—with it, you can do some pretty heavy lifting with very little effort. It frees
you from lots of annoying, mundane work, and before long you begin to wonder
how you endured your pre-Python days.
About This Book
Although Python is a great first programming language, in this book we do assume
that you already have some programming experience.
The first section of the book introduces you to Python and tells you everything you
need to know to get started. If you’re new to Python, then that section is definitely
the place to start; otherwise, it serves as a useful language reference with many
examples.
We’ve worked hard to ensure that the book works well as a quick reference. Often
the quickest way to understand a feature is to see it in use: Flip through the book’s
pages and you’ll see that they are dripping with code examples.
