Programming Python, Third Edition - New from O'Reilly

For Immediate Release
For more information, a review copy, cover art, or an interview with
the author, contact:
Kathryn Barrett (707) 827-7094 or kathrynb@oreilly.com

The Classic Python Book Updated for Today's Pythonista
O'Reilly Releases "Programming Python, Third Edition"

Sebastopol, CA--You can tell a Pythonista by the astonishment he or she
displays when viewing code in other languages, generally followed by the
exclamation, "Why does it have to be so complicated?"  If that's not
evidence enough, look for comp.lang.python among his bookmarks.  But the
surest sign (short of asking) is the book he clutches in his hands. Your
true Pythonista will keep the latest edition of "Programming Python"
(Lutz, O'Reilly, US $58.99) within reach.  No other resource explains the
Python language syntax and programming techniques so thoroughly, or in as
clear and concise a manner.

The new third edition of "Programming Python" has been updated to reflect
current best practices and the abundance of changes introduced with the
latest version of the language, Python 2.5.  "There have been important
changes in both the Python language and Python practice in the past five
years which necessitated an update," says author Mark Lutz. "For instance,
language features such as nested function scopes, string methods, and list
comprehensions clean up a lot of code and have been incorporated
throughout. I also updated many of the examples to be more feature-rich,
and added new materials on topics such as the new email and XML packages,
SQL and ZODB databases, PIL imaging tools, and so on, to make the book
more practical. Many of these changes reflect feedback from the Python
classes I teach."

Lutz points out that Python's popularity has grown much over the last five
years, and new tools and techniques have emerged.  "This edition has been
updated to make is more useful as an application-level programming
tutorial," he notes.  "Once readers have studied the material, they'll be
able to apply Python to real applications-level tasks: building web sites,
coding GUIs, wrapping C libraries, doing system administration, and so
on."

The book is written for people who already know the fundamentals of the
Python language, but want to learn how to apply it to real programming
tasks such as GUIs, databases, and the Internet. This book picks up where
"Learning Python" leaves off, and gives the other half of the Python
story: what you can do with it after you learn it.

Readers will learn how to apply Python in real-world problem domains such
as GUI programming, parallel processing, networked applications, Internet
scripting, and database management. "Programming Python, Third Edition"
covers each of these target domains gradually, beginning with in-depth
discussions of core concepts, and then progressing toward complete
programs.

"In some sense, this book is to applications-level programming what
'Learning Python' is to the core language: a gradual tutorial, which makes
no assumptions about your background in the common domains it covers, and
teaches programming in those domains from the ground up," says Lutz. "For
instance, Internet scripting is introduced gradually, beginning with
network sockets and ending with discussions of full web frameworks. GUIs
get a similar treatment with one introductory and two tutorial chapters.

"Larger examples are presented, but only after their techniques have been
covered," Lutz adds. "Language  topics such as OOP and code reuse show up
as well, but in the context of realistic programs. Primarily, this book is
for readers who want to learn the fundamentals of common Python domains,
as well as study it in action in those domains."

If you're interested in Python programming, this O'Reilly classic needs to
be within arm's reach. You won't find it sitting unused on a Pythonista's
bookshelf. The wealth of practical advice, snippets of code, and patterns
of program design can all be put into use on a daily basis, making the
lives of Python programmers easier and more productive.

Additional Resources:

For more information about the book, including table of contents, index,
author bio, and samples, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/python3/

For a cover graphic in JPEG format, go to:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/python3/

Programming Python, Third Edition
Mark Lutz
ISBN: 0-596-00925-9, 1551 pages, $59.99 US, $77.99 CA
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
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