Learning Python

With this hands-on book, you can master the fundamentals of the core Python language quickly and efficiently, whether you're new to programming or just new to Python. Updated for version 3.0 of the language, the fourth edition of Learning Python is a self-paced tutorial with material derived from author Mark Lutz's popular Python training courses. Each chapter is a self-contained lesson that helps you thoroughly understand a key component of Python. A unique Test Your Knowledge section at the end of the chapter provides practical exercises and review quizzes so you can practice new skills and test your understanding as you go. This book covers: Types and Operations - Python's major built-in object types in depth: numbers, lists, dictionaries, and more; Statements and Syntax - the code you use to create and process objects in Python, along with Python's general syntax model; Functions - Python's basic procedural tool for structuring and reusing code; Modules - packages of statements, functions, and other tools organized into larger components; Classes and OOP - Python's optional object-oriented programming tool for structuring code for customization and reuse; and, Exceptions and Tools - exception-handling model and statements, plus a look at development tools for writing larger programs. Using annotated examples and illustrations, Learning Python gives you a complete understanding of the language that will help you comprehend any application-level examples of Python that you may encounter. If you're ready to discover what Google and YouTube see in Python, this book is the best way to get started.