5 comments about XML Processing with Python (with CD-ROM).

1. Very little coverage of processing XML documents using Python - plenty of discussion of Python generally, how to use C language utilities to parse XML, how to use awk to modify the output of the C language tools, etc. The book uses a large typeface and includes examples for both Linux and Windows NT screen input/output (which turn out to be nearly identical), so there's not nearly as much content as you might imagine from the page count. I'm relatively new to XML and Python and I spotted two errors in the examples within the first 100 pages. There are two appendices which sound like they're supposed to explain Python to Java and Perl programmers but turn out to be feature comparisons. That's great fodder for flamewars about language superiority, but not a big help for people with experience in other languages seeking a Python jump-start. People who shell out $() for a book on XML and Python don't need a sales pitch about why XML and Python are good choices.

   I think this book could have been saved with some help from a good editor; unfortunately, that wasn't done. I can't comment on the CD as I haven't opened its envelope, as this book is being returned as totally unsatisfactory, which I don't do very often.




2. Modern XML programmers should be using the SAX and DOM api's for their projects, and the related standards. Those subjects should have been the foundation for this book.

   Instead the author spends lots of time talking about some "pyxie" utility that reforms XML into some intermediate line oriented ascii format for processing. He even does system calls to assist in processing. If SAX and DOM didn't exist, then yes, I suppose this is how you'd do it. This would be OK for 10% of the book, as an introduction, but not as the primary tool.

   To be fair, he does talk about SAX and DOM in a couple chapters. The coverage was light and the examples weren't great.

   And no discussion of XSLT or XPath? Nor of schemas? To be fair the copyright says 2000, so this may have been written in 1999, so some of those items were not around or popular back then. But if the book is updated, these would need to be added.

   I think readers might do better to grab one of the Java books for now, and try to translate to Python in their head I guess. I agree with one of the other reviewers that there's a bit of filler in the book, though not as bad as some other books.

   On the plus side the author is very polite and supportive and would be comforting to newer programmers.

   I also like the way he keeps extending his xgrep project to have more and more features; it is nice to see an author show a large project evolving (I just kept wishing it was using DOM).




3. This book proves that a good publisher makes a difference, and that prentice hall does not qualify. I've never seen a computer book that contains so many errors. Combined with the hideous layout of the goldfarb series, this should be enough to keep you far away from it. BTW: i've added a second star, because valuable stuff is hidden in it; you just have to work too hard to get there.

   If you're new to python, buy learning python and programming python instead. if you want to apply xml with python, use the web to learn more. Only buy this book if it's *deeply* discounted, or if you're looking for job as a book editor. Otherwise, you'll end up rewarding incompetent publishing.




4. There are some useful nuggets in this book, but there is also a lot of material that doesn't directly relate to processing XML. The author spends an inordinate amount of space discussing things like AWK, filename globbing on Windows, installing software, and other irrelevant items. The software tools used as examples in the book were written for earlier versions of Python and the Python XML libraries; they do not work with the current releases of Python and PyXML, and no updates are available on the author's web site.



5. I haven't clue what this book is about and how it relates to real life problem solving. I use SAX2 and DOM parsers daily and they are an integral part of my software projects. I fond this book to be a total waste of time and money and I would not, could not recommend it. The O'Reilly Book on the other hand it a gem

5 comments about Internet Programming with Python.

1. This book does an excellent job explaining how to use Python in general, including internet programming. It also includes a CD that enables the buyer to set up Python on their own system, be it Win95, Dos, Unix, etc. Unfortunately, this CD does not include a setup program. It does include some instructions for setting it up, however, this is not a straightforward process. I would recommend this book only for someone who has at least little programming experience and knowledge of their operating system.



2. I had read "Programming Python" (Mark Lutz) befrie getting this book, and I expected a lot more on network programming than what this book provides. I would definitely call the title "Internet Programming with Python" false advertising.

   Aside from this (very annoying) shortcoming, the book might provide a good overview of the Python programming language. I didn't go over all the syntax, GUI and other topics as I already had covered them in the other book.

   I would recommend Programming Python over this book.




3. The book's title probably has been chosen to attract attention. That said, it is an excellent book. The standard book, Programming Python by Mark Lutz, may bog neophytes down.

   The first half of the book is an introduction to the language and the second half applications loosely connected to the Internet.

   The language is worth knowing, but I'd have liked a book with exercises.




4. Awesome book, I liked Chapter 3 which instantly gets you into useful programming stuff. The book also takes you from beginner-level to advanced stuff like extending and embedding python, sort of the python equivalent of the Perl camel book (programming perl) and panther book (advanced perl programming) rolled into one. I think there's enough stuff on net programming to justify the title. The CD-ROM in my copy of the book has python 1.3, the current version is 1.5 something. The book too might be dated, but I skimmed the latest ORA python book, Learning Python, and I think this is more my speed.



5. Instead of giving this book an opportunity to become a best-seller, the publisher let it become out of print. An unfortunate effect is that my students could not buy the book, and have to share the library copies. This book is beautifully written, enormously useful and fun to read because of authors' good sense of humor. Chapter 7: "Generating HTML" gives one of the best introductions to object orientation and dynamic features of Python. I urge the authors and the publisher to work quickly to make the book available.

5 comments about Python Developer's Handbook (Developer's Library).

1. I decided to buy this book just after reading the wonderful review posted on the february edition of the LINUX JOURNAL (page 180). The review was written by Phil Hughes (LJ's publisher), what in my oppinion, gives a lot of credibility to the review.

   After reading things like: - "THIS IS ONE of those rare cases when the book title seems to match the book content"; - "Besides covering the language, this book fills in all the blanks"; - "All in all I found this to be an excellent and accurate book well worth the space it will take on a Python programmer's bookshelf."

   ...I decided to give it a try, and boy!!! the book really covers a lot of cool stuff.

   I don't know why LJ doesn't mention that the book also covers Python 2.0. For my surprise, when I started reading it, I noticed that the book had more to offer than the review in the magazine has told me about.

   In other words, I liked it a lot. I am still in the middle of chapter 5, but I've already come up with several useful Python routines.




2. I have two complaints about this book:

   * The publisher didn't bother to have a native speaker of English correct the author's quirky language. (On multiple occasions, for example, the author talks about "informing" an item into a list when he clearly means "inserting.") After awhile, this kind of thing begins to grate on the reader.

   * Like all the other Python books on the market, this one is just another cut-and-paste job from the python.org website. I want something that tells me *more* than what's on the website. I want a book that clarifies and goes beyond the website. I want to find out about "gotchas", and workarounds, and things I wouldn't know just from reading the website. In that regard, this book really doesn't deliver. Too bad...




3. I bought this at a Borders store after comparing all the Python books they had in stock (they had no O'Reilly book at the time). The basic language is pretty simple, so I was looking for something that had a lot of library chapters.

   This fit the bill fairly well, but there are a number of frustrating things. The poor editing job to clean up the author's English is the biggest. The layout of paragragh name, content, examples is sometimes accidentally inconsistant, i.e. more poor editing.

   While it covers a lot of library code in its 900+ pages, it leaves out some stuff I would use a lot. Perhaps the sections on interacting with Java and C should be in a separate book. Think of this book as something that touches on everything but needs to be augmented by more detailed books in areas of interest.

   Finally, the Python 2.x information was added late in the process. That was not a big deal, as I had been writing to 1.5 specs.

   All in all, the book was worthwhile and I expect to keep using it, but I'm about to buy "Web Programming In Python" sight unseen. It's time to move on.




4. I was looking forward to reading another python book, but there are too many errors in the Python Developer's Handbook, for it to be useful to its intended audience. I glanced through a few pages randomly, and saw many blatant mistakes that I am surprised the author didn't catch. Here are some examples of mistakes caught glancing just through the first 200 pages of the book:

   major mistakes
   p.105. The author gives an example of the copy module.

   
   >>> import copy
   >>> x = [1,2,3,[4,5,6]]

   >>> y = copy.copy(x)

   The author states here, "As you can see, this function provides the same result that y=x[:] does. It creates a new object that references the old one. If the original object is a mutable object and has its value changed, the new object will change too."

   The author's statement is totally wrong, given the example he presents. In this case, y is a copy of x, and changing either one will not change the other, as the following shows:

   >>> x=[1,2,3,[4,5,6]]
   >>> x

   [1, 2, 3, [4, 5, 6]]
   >>> y = x[:]
   >>> id(x) == id(y)
   0
   >>> x
   [1, 2, 3, [4, 5, 6]]
   >>> y
   [1, 2, 3, [4, 5, 6]]
   >>> x.append(7)
   >>> x
   [1, 2, 3, [4, 5, 6], 7]
   >>> y
   [1, 2, 3, [4, 5, 6]]
   >>>

   major mistake:
   p.191. This example makes no sense at all, and surely, typing it in produces a traceback. Yet the author shows an answer he got as 2. Makes me really wonder, how many drinks did the author have while proofreading this book?

   >>> def printGlobalcount():
   print Globalcount.n

   
   >>> class Counting:
   n = 0
   def __init__(self):
   Globalcount.n = Globalcount.n + 1

   
   >>> inc = Counting()
   Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "", line 1, in ?
   inc = Counting()
   File "", line 4, in __init__
   Globalcount.n = Globalcount.n + 1
   NameError: global name 'Globalcount' is not defined
   >>>

   more subtle mistakes:
   stick with the same case, for example p.186:

   The class names are first mentioned as Student and NewStudent, but in the next few pages they change case, and mysteriously become student, and newstudent.

   >>> studentfile.newstudent.__name__
   'newstudent'

   Final Word:

   Overall, I have serious reservations about recommending this book to anyone but a proofreader. I found way too many mistakes in the initial analysis of the book for it to be very useful to any serious python programmer.

   Overall Rating:

   I give this book 2 stars out of 5.




5. There might be some need for a book that covers intesively py 1.5.2, which I think was released in 1997 or so, but aside from that, you will read about code and libraries that are no longer maintained, or even available.

No comments about Design, Logic, and Programming with Python: A Hands-on Approach.

5 comments about Python Annotated Archives.

1. This is a pleasant enough read, annotating at length, in a conversational style, on a variety of Python scripts. The typo density is a tad high; the variety of Python libraries (such as math, graphics, sound, ...) used is excellent, the font the usual too big - trying to make a medium book look big. Biggest gripe: the typos and piddling inconsistencies in coding styles.



2. This book is filled with a vast array of errors. I began to catalog them so I could post a list on the web, but I gave up within 50 pages. The author apparently does not understand the algorithms of the code he purports to explain, and frequently his "explanations" only serve to mislead.
   
   This book should be avoided by everyone. Beginning programmers will be totally confused. Beginning python programmers will be mislead and waste a lot of time. Persons coming to python with a solid background will also find themselves wasting time, but it will be venting their frustration at the author's breezy errors and the fact that they have given him money for this work.
   
   Also the entire concept of editorial review seems to have been dismissed by this publisher.
   
   I cannot stress enough how bad this book is. I recommend going with "Learning Python" for an introduction, or "Programming Python" by Mark Lutz if you want to really get into the meat of things.
   
   This book is unacceptable at every level.



3. If your the kind of person that likes to read someone elses code, and the modify the hell out of it to get your job done or learn a language. Then this is DEFINITELY the book for you.

   If your looking for the definitive Python reference that you can carry with you and look up the more esoteric methods or rules. Then this is DEFINITELY NOT the book for you! You need to go get Python Essential Reference. I have 5 python books right now. Of the 5 I'm thinking of getting another copy to carry with me, and leave this one at work. All the rest we're helpful in getting me started, but don't get the same use day to day.




4. Every chapter was of interest. Seeing networks and web programming and user interface from the Python perspective helped me evaluate the language as a tool for a particular project I have in mind. The CD-Rom had clear directories and quick install of the language along with the on-line tutorial and other learning aids.

   I found the type just the right size. Overall a comfortable read. It sold me on Python.




5. The examples in this book are geared for UNIX administrators, limiting its usefulness to other users. Consider this book if you are a UNIX administrator who learns best by looking at code examples, otherwise your time and money are probably best spent on another book. For examples of how to do things - Python Essential Reference is a better book. Archives is not as much a reference as it is a method of learning Python by looking at code examples and explanations of the code.

5 comments about Practical Python.

1. I'm really starting to wonder about these whole Amazon review system. I mean, these reviews so far reflect nothing about what I've personally found this book to be. All of those things sound strikingly like advertisements as opposed to honest feedback. I doubt this Amazon thing is worth anything anymore, but whatever. This book was dry, drab and incomplete in many ways. It never delivered what it promised. I can't say I'm a beginner at Python, so perhaps that was the problem. But I'd stay away from this book and perhaps look at one of Oreillys titles.



2. I am currently working on a project which involves a software tool for energy benchmarking. Up until now I have been using an interpreted language (which will go unmentioned, I don't want to start a flame war). Although this language is good for a lot of things, it was becoming increasingly difficult to use it for my project. I felt that the project was getting too big to maintain the code in a orderly way. For a while I have trying to port the whole shebang to C++, but it felt like trying to kill a mosquito with a cannon (like in that Monty Python sketch). My search on the wonderful worldwide web confirmed what I already knew, I should try to use Python for my project (read 'why Python' by Eric Raymond for instance). After dabbling around with tutorials and the like I thought it was time to buy a real book. I came across 'Practical Python' by Magnus Lie Hetland pretty soon and downloaded a sample chapter. After reading this I just knew this was the book for me. It's well written, it has good examples and is written with humour. Humour, I think at least, is important but very personal and Hetland manages to find a good balance between humour and 'serious' coding. The examples are clear and especially noteworthy are the projects which are in the last part of the book. This is practical! Once you mastered the language you can use your knowledge in real applications. The book reads like a Stephen King novel. Exciting, you want to know what's on the next page before you go to sleep (if you can sleep...).
   Overall this book is a winner. I would like to recommend it to everyone who wants to learn Python and have a nice time reading it also. I know that I did!



3. If you believe one learns more from others than from books and you are a beginner, this book is for you.
   
   I always use Python in a hurry. Python pampered me into a lazy learner, but who's to blame? To me, Python is like a friend I am deeply attatched to but never know enough, until I found this book. Yes, even beginners can start USING Python in a week or two. But he/she also knows the difference between his/her programming skill and the professionals'. Well, Magnus will help you catch up with them in a few days' joyful reading. Like Code Complete this book teaches you things you can only learn from experience but it achieves this by using a pedagogical (and practical) programming language, ten illustrative and generalizable projects, and good writing. I can't help you learning Python, but recommanding this book is the least I can do.



4. Magnus Lie Hetland's Practical Python provides developers with a practical guide to the Python programming language: while it does assume a degree of basic Python programming experience, it leads readers from the basics to the advanced concepts needed to understand datatypes, abstracts, and other concepts central to Python's datatype offerings. The program's object-oriented applications receive thorough coverage; but half the book covers project development and walks users through ten increasingly complex projects to demonstrate application choices at work.



5. Look for this guy's online python tutorials: instant hacking (the title is a misnomer, instant hacking has nothing to do with "learning to hack") and instant python.
   I rly liked those tutorials a lot and so I bought this book because it was by the same author.
   However, I figured out (slightly to my dismay) that this was rly just an old version of "Beginning Python: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: From Novice to Professional)" by the same author.
   Thus, I'd recommend the other new version but this book is really good too.
   This book covers a wide variety of programming topics (as well as programming "concepts" such as inheritance, polymorphism, etc). Even though its old, I couldn't tell that it was an older version until I read other Amazon topics. This book also isn't short at all so its defintely gonna keep me busy for quite a while :)

5 comments about Professional Linux Programming.

1. If you are looking for information on hacking the Linux Kernel then this book is not for you. Also it shows a total bias towards GTK/GNOME and PostgreSQL. There are places in the text which shows a complete lack of understanding of the subject under discussion. Information concerning MySQL is at best inaccurate and totally misleading. The treatment of KDE and Qt is very scant. Overall this book falls very short of expectations. It trys to be all things to men but ends up being nothing. Very disappointing indeed



2. This book is the sequel to the excellent' Beginning Linux Programming'. It isn't a book for kernel hackers, and it doesn't pretend to be. (There is a book being written by kernel developers called' Professional Linux Kernel Programming' - make sure that you order the correct one!). Instead, this heavyweight book is a very useful guide for those wishing to develop real world applications. It covers the tools used for developing serious web applications, such as the databases MySQL and PostgreSQL, and the excellent PHP language. When it comes to desktop and client server you are spoilt for choice - just about everything is covered. It is especially nice to see Python content - one of the areas missing from their first book as Python is very easy to learn and both powerful and flexible. If anything else was covered I'm not sure how the publishers would bind it! The level of detail is such that the reader will be able to achieve useful results based on the book alone, and any further detail is usually available as part of the documentation supplied when installing the software tools. Single subject books often just duplicate this, and quickly become dated. Where there are references to other books, it is nice to see that it is not just Wrox books which are recommended. The book is written in a style which is both readable and serves as a useful reference work, spending more time next to my computer than it does collecting dust on a shelf. I'd have no hesitation recommending this book to anyone wishing to develop Linux solutions for today and for the future - throw away those VB books now!



3. This book is a follow-up to Beginning Linux Programming, but with a wider range of authors. The book is a series of chapters on various tools and applications, all of them Open Source, based mainly round things that application developers might use, though there is a single chapter on device drivers.

   Most topics only get a single chapter, so there isn't as much depth as you would find in a dedicated book on each topic, but there is a very wide range of material all covered in enough depth to get the more experienced programmer started with a new topic. There are one or two weaker areas, but overall a good choice of material succinctly presented for the more experienced application developer. I've given it 5 stars as it was exactly what I was looking for - a single reference to help me create a Linux-based web database application, your mileage may vary. I recommend you at least consider it.




4. I bought the Beginners Guide to Linux Programming and I really liked that book. This book is a very good follow-up, but it doesn't give the reader more programming tips.
   It covers many topics which makes this book a great reference for anyone who deals with Linux and even other flavors of Unix on a day to day basic. Buy this book if you are looking for a reference book on developing software on Linux that covers advanced topics.



5. The biggest problem I have with this book is its weight. It's just too big and clunky to hold up to read. Splitting into two bindings would have been nice. But it does cover a lot and it needs to be large to do so.

3 comments about A Pocketful of Python: Volume 3.

1. Well, what CAN be said? It is good to see humour spelled with a pair of U's (per the King's English). Whilst doth contain numerous funny bits, perhaps the American palate is not suited for wit which possesses intellectual subtleties.

   For our American friends I recommend Rosanne Arnold, fluorescent plaid sport-coats (with matching white 5cm/2" belt), premium Wisconsin 3 week old processed cheese slices, Napa Valley's finest blush and a domestic rum tipped Colt cigar.




2. since i saw "holy grail" 6 years ago, (i was 10) i have been hell bent on finding everything the pythons ever did. unfortunately most of my friends don't share my enthusiasm for british comedy, but i think it should be known that the occasional american recognizes comedic genius when she sees it. for all those who live in areas where mention of the pythons is scarce, this is a must have. you'll be quoting them in your head at school, at work, on the bus, wherever. just ignore the people who turn and look when you burst out laughing.



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 four star rating.) This selection of material edited by Terry Gilliam has some very good material. There are very few copper bottom Python classics in it (other than the Prince in the Tower), there are some of my favorite unappreciated bits, like The Old Storyteller, Adventures of Walter the Wallaby, What to Do When Meeting the Royal Family, and the German Lumberjack Song.
   In addition, there is a preface by Eric Idle (at the back of the book) which is probably the funniest of the "Pocketful of Python" series.

3 comments about Pocketful Of Python Vol 5 (Pocketful of Python).

1. Spamtastic! It's so nice and little, I can carry it around with me in my purse and backpack! It's great when I need a Python fix. It has "The Lumberjack Song" and "Spam" and "Every Sperm is Sacred" Lyrics, but it also has really funny, lesser known skits like "Constitutional Peasants" (from Holy Grail) and "What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us?" (from Life of Brian). I was really torn between this one and John Cleese's Pocketful of Python, but the "Truth About Protestants" skit (from Meaning of Life) made me get it. Every Python fan should own this. It's a funny and wonderful mix of popular and unpopular Python and will make you [at least] giggle every time you read it.



2. There is some very, very excellent stuff in here, and enough to make up for the fact that it's a very blatant repackaging of old Python material. It seems a little like exploitation to tell you the truth, but the skits are so good that it's forgivable. Some of the best are Lumberjack Song, Madame Palm, Constitutional Peasants, Every Sperm is Sacred, and especially the Oxford Simplified Dictionary. Also included is a very funny preface by Terry Gilliam.



3. Do not be fooled, dear readers- this is not really a book at all, but a mere compilation of some of the different Python sketches throughout the Flying Circus series, with some pictures and artwork thrown in. You can 'read' it within much less than an hour. However, those who love pictures will get plenty in here, and those Python nuts who like to recite the skits line by line can now have a chance at doing so with this pocket-sized book.

2 comments about The Complete Python Training Course (Complete Training Course).

1. Having just finished Chapter 1 and now working on Chapter 2.
   
   I just wanted to let you know this is great system for learning Python computer language.
   
   Also the example code works fine with version 1.52 of Python on a Palm PDA.
   
   And I have it working on my Linux system with version 5 of Win4Lin that lets me run windows under Linux. And that is working great also.
   
   Thanks for the great product.
   
   John



2. I came to this book almost as a complete beginner. Had downloaded Python 2.something, read Alan Gaud's Tutorial and perhaps some other excelent tuts on the web like Magnus Python.
   
   The book is huge. It covers a lot of material and does a good job holding the hand of the newbie throught learning to program.
   
   It's very well suited to it's end: Teach someone who as not programmed before!
   
   Good job.