No comments about Python for Rookies.

3 comments about A Pocketful of Python: Volume 2.

1. THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU READ IT OVER 10,000,000 TIMES! WHEN i GOT THIS BOOK I LAUGHED SO MUCH! MY SUGGESTION IS IF YOUR A PYTHON MANIAC YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK.(NEE!)



2. THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU READ IT OVER 10,000,000 TIMES! WHEN i GOT THIS BOOK I LAUGHED SO MUCH! MY SUGGESTION IS IF YOUR A PYTHON MANIAC YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK.(NEE!)



3. This whole "Pocketful of Python" series strikes me as just a bit odd. Much of it was released to mark Monty Python's 30th Anniversary, and it seems like something of a cash-in. After all, it's just portions of other Python books crammed into several volumes in a slightly new way.
   That said, I have gotten an awful lot of enjoyment from the series (hence the five star rating.) This is undoubtedly the best book of the series. Normally I'd just write about my favorites bits, but John Cleese's selection is so good I'll list them all.
   African Notebook, Anne Elk's (Miss) Theory, Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson, Consulting Jean-Paul Sartre, Eric the Half a Bee, Fear No Man!, Jonah Gambolputty, Larch in Court, The Last Supper, Merchant Banker, Mollusks, Norman Henderson's Diary, History of Mankind Medallions, Oh Lord Please Don't Burn Us, Python Panel, Raymond Luxury Yacht, Sacred Castles, We Are Individuals, and Word Association Football.

5 comments about Web Programming in Python: Techniques for Integrating Linux, Apache, and MySQL.

1. This book covers everything about getting a web application together. If you accept the Python Way, (a wise idea I think) you could look at the book as an attempted successor to Lincoln Stein's original compendium about how to serve web applications from top to bottom.

   If you're a person who knows something about programming in general but not enough about programming for the web in specific, this book is just the thing to help you identify and fill in the gaps.

   I do have a complaint that the writing could have been a bit smoother and the editing a bit more careful.

   A far more serious flaw, though, is the authors' failure to keep the software framework on which the book is based up-to-date. The upshot is that while the book is very informative, it's unfortunately quite a slog getting the examples working.

   While I recommend the book for its explanatory power, unfortunately it doesn't provide a direct path to getting your project online. If the framework were better maintained and documented, this could still turn out to be the only book you need.




2. This book had the right idea and its basic outline was well thought out. But when I tried some of the examples I found too many errors. There is no web site support for the errors in the code examples, or exercises by the author or publisher. So you are on your own.
   In all fairness, the book contains a good presentation to Python, Linux and MySQL, and a good basic explanation of the Internet, Apache and CGI. However, I think most of us learn best by trying out the exercises after reading the theory, and it is here where the book is weak. Because there are too few complete exercises, many errors, no errata, and lack of web support I cannot recommend this book. Also, some of the exercises require the "Slither" libraries, which do not seem to be supported any longer. Furthermore, I haven't been able to find a place to download the code in this book.



3. Talk about a sleeper! This book may be one of the best kept secrets in the world of Web programming books. It could be described as Web programming with Python and Open Source tools. In the hands of most authors, this much breadth would produce a multi-volume set of books complete with material that could readily be found elsewhere. The reader is fortunate that it was written and edited by educators who know how to present the pertinent and relevant details of the OS, the Shell, the Python language, Apache, SQL. Lesser books give you the world but require the reader to determine what is relevant and how to use the features described. The manuscript is original and efficient; definitely not a regurgitation of material available on the Web. The advanced sections pertaining to the development of an application server are rich with good programming methodologies. However, some chapters may be exceedingly routine for intermediate and/or advanced server-side programmers. The book could be described as a "LAMP" developer guide for novices (where the P stands for Python not Perl).
   
   A previous reviewer cited some typos. In an effort to keep that comment in perspective, I believe the number of errors for this amount of breadth + depth is very low.



4. Hello, Everyone. First, we thank all of you for the generally positive comments about our book. We worked hard to bring you a book of high quality and are still alive.
   
   I wish to point out that the nature of this project was to provide a solid framework that, initially, was aimed at helping our readers to learn the issues involved in developing serious web applications. Think of Slither as a web framework aimed at being understood pedagogically, similar to what Minix aimed to do for teaching/learning operating systems.
   
   That said, a number of things have changed since we wrote the book. All of our day jobs became more demanding, similar to what's going on in much of the US workforce. We are committed to evolving Slither (the framework described in our book) and look forward to involving others in the project via our new home on SourceForge. A new release is already in the planning stages, which we hope will make Slither one of the best web programming frameworks ever--especially for Python programmers!
   
   For those who wish to grab the latest code, please visit the Slither project at SourceForge. We do not post URLs due to Amazon's guidelines.



5. Chapters 1-6 did not contain enough examples to get into thr mindset of the book. In particular, I would have like information better leading into the heart of the book in Chapter 8 and beyond.
   
   Chapter 7, on the other hand, is an excellent introduction to the world of web programming.
   
   Then, in Chapter 8 and beyond, not enough of a coding and understanding base has been built to follow the design considerations of the tools into the Slither and other tools.
   
   In general, the information freely available on the Net for Python makes it look like the perfect tool for open source Web programming. However, the relative lack of intermediate documentation (ex. object-oeiented programming at more than a basic level) means that most actual Web sites are built in PHP, Java, or other languages not nearly as elegant. This book continues that tradition by including tools that aren't sufficiently explained to the point that I know either to: (a) use the tool, and don't reinvent the wheel; (b) these tools work, but you need to add to them for a robust application; or (c) nobody's done that (well) yet, so get going!
   
   Still, Chapter 7 alone saved me weeks in development.
   
   My biggest complaint is that I was anticipating learning the details of web-based MySQL database programming in Python. There's lots of infomation on MySQL programming - in MySQL. Also, as I do not own the web server - I pay a few dollars a month for that - I (a) can't configure the web server; (b) don't need to configure the web server; (c) need techniques that will work, having access to MySQL and Python, without having root access to the web server.

No comments about Bioinformatics Programming in Python: A Practical Course for Beginners.

No comments about The Book of Python: From the Tip of the Tongue to the End of the Tale.

No comments about Python Interview Questions, Answers, and Explanations: Python Programming Certification Review.

1 comments about Python Power!: The Comprehensive Guide (Power!) (Power!).

1. The title is a little misleading. Python Power!: The Comprehensive Guide. Well, it is a Python Guide, but without much Power (it is there in Python but you will need to apply it - the book does not do it for you) and definitely not Comprehensive. At around 500 pages not sure why the author would even make that claim, unless it was just for advertizing.
   
   Despite the misleading title, the book is rather useful in that it is clear and easy to read. It is a good python intro book that touches on some advanced material to wet your appetite and at least have a sense of direction for further pursuits. It can also be used as a fast reference to spur you onto more comprehensive solutions.
   
   When the author talks GUI, he talks TKIter, which is appealing. I could not find any reference to unit testing or system/integration testing. These topics are not typically presented in-depth in most python books, but I think the author could have easily stuck in a real-world application of these subjects in association with his Functions and Modules section, which does a good job of explaining passing arguments, etc and could be expanded in the same vein to include Testing Modules.
   
   The price is reasonable and if your expectations on the comprehensiveness of the book are moderate then you will likely not be disappointed.

No comments about The Book Of Python: A Real-World Reference.

2 comments about XML Processing with Perl, Python, and PHP.

1. XML is not so difficult, but when coping with Perl or PHP, you need something to tell you exactly HOW to do that. Add to this Python, a very well written book, and you get Martin C. Brown's book.
   I think that if you're really serious into programming XML with Python and Perl, you absolutely must have this book.



2. This book is okay, but is your development team really using all these languages? If you need to learn XML with a certain technology, get Professional PHP4 XML or Manning's new Java and XML book and many others. Not only do these books cover the same material as this one, they cover some really advanced topics such as architecture and design issues as well as giving you heads up on the latest versions such as php 4.3.0. This book also doesn't nearly tell you about all the potential problems that you can have with working with PHP where Professional PHP4 XML will answer just about every question you ever had plus everything else you didn't think of.

3 comments about Perl to Python Migration.

1. I'm an avid Perl programmer who's wanted to do more with Python, but never seem to have the time to actually _do_ something in Python because I run out of time and end up doing it in Perl. This book has helped me get over that hurdle by providing a useful cross reference, so if you want to do X in Perl (with a perl code example that looks very typical), do Y in Python (with a plausible code fragment).

   I would have rated this book 5 stars, as it very clearly achieves its stated goal. Unfortunately it is absolutely riddled with minor typo's. Perhaps that will be fixed in a future edition, but for now it makes life a bit more difficult since you have to pay very close attention to what is in the book vs. what you might already know and correct the book where it is wrong.




2. If you happen to be a Perl Hacker who wants to get into Python, this book is just what you're looking for. It's written from the perspective of a Perl programmer who has made the switch to Python. It introduces Python while explaining the relevant differences to Perl as it goes. There are also lots of code snippets showing Perl code along with its Python equivalents.

   This book does have some problems however. It has more typos in it than any other programming book I've ever read. That applies to both the text itself as well as some of the code samples. There are also some places in which it explains things assuming knowledge of something else that isn't described until further on in.

   That said, I still found the book useful, and for me it was probably worth the purchase price. I would just recommend that readers be very wary of the typos as you go along.




3. This book is a reasonable cross-reference, but it can't be trusted at all, for the simple fact that it has so many typos, spelling mistakes, and code samples with errors in that it's a dangerous book to give to a python learner. Bad show.