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Python
Pocket Reference
First published 2002 · 266 pages
A compact, no-nonsense lifeline that delivers immediate clarity to developers navigating the syntax of Python.
What it feels like
Reading this is less about embarking on a narrative journey and more about experiencing the sharp relief of finding exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. The mood is highly focused and unapologetically utilitarian, designed to sit quietly on a desk until a moment of coding friction arises. Its prose is terse, structured, and stripped of all fluff, prioritizing speed and clarity above all else. It delights the pragmatic programmer who values efficiency, offering a satisfying micro-arc from the hesitation of a forgotten method to the empowered click of unblocked productivity. It feels like having a seasoned mentor at your fingertips, transforming moments of technical uncertainty into swift, confident keystrokes.
- Mood
- focused
- utilitarian
- structured
- Tone
- pragmatic
- direct
- authoritative
- concise
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- problem-solving · technical fluency · efficiency · mastery of tools
- The writing
- Terse, highly structured, and stripped of fluff to optimize for rapid information retrieval.
- The arc
- Moves from the minor frustration of a forgotten syntax to the satisfying click of immediate clarity and unblocked progress.
- Who it's for
- Pragmatic developers and programmers who need a reliable, quick-reference lifeline while deep in the coding zone.
About the book
Python is optimized for quality, productivity, portability, and integration. Hundreds of thousands of Python developers around the world rely on Python for general-purpose tasks, Internet scripting, systems programming, user interfaces, and product customization. Available on all major computing platforms, including commercial versions of Unix, Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X, Python is portable, powerful and remarkable easy to use. With its convenient, quick-reference format, Python Pocket Reference, 3rd Edition is the perfect on-the-job reference. More importantly, it's now been refreshed to cover the language's latest release, Python 2.4. For experienced Python developers, this book is a compact toolbox that delivers need-to-know information at the flip of a page. This third edition also includes an easy-lookup index to help developers find answers fast! Python 2.4 is more than just optimization and library enhancements; it's also chock full of bug fixes and upgrades. And these changes are addressed in the Python Pocket Reference, 3rd Edition. New language features, new and upgraded built-ins, and new and upgraded modules and packages—they're all clarified in detail. The Python Pocket Reference, 3rd Edition serves as the perfect companion to Learning Python and Programming Python.
October 1998 First Edition January 2002 Second Edition February 2005 Third Edition October 2009 Fourth Edition 5th Edition 2014-01-17 First release 2014-02-14 Second release 2015-02-06 Third release 2018-08-10 Fourth release 2018-11-21 Fifth release
Description from Open Library.
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