The primary aim of this book is to provide a comprehensive guide to almost everything your want to know about Python. That's not actually as easy it sounds. Writing a Complete Reference is a bit like asking Ôhow long is a piece of string'. Although we can cover a lot of information there's always something that we can't fit into the book and that we don't get to cover as much as we like.

That doesn't mean we're lacking in information. Between the covers of this title you'll find all of the basic reference information on how to use the basic Python interpreter including the built-in data types, loops and control statements and the Python error handling system, otherwise known as exceptions.

I've also taken the time to go into detail on how to use the modules in the Python standard library, how to work with and develop user interfaces using Tk and details on web programming. Along the way, we'll also look at how and why to use Python as a rapid application development tool, how to read and write good documentation and information on how to extend and embed Python using C.

This is a reference and so whilst I've tried to make the book as easy to use and follow as possible, it wont teach you how to use Python if you've never used it before. Ideally you'll need to have used Python, at least to a basic extent to make the best use of this book. If you know Python to a basic level and want to know more you should be able to use the reference material and programming/style guides to go to the next level of Python experience.

If you don't know Python but do know another a scripting language, particularly Perl you should be able to pick up a lot of the Python language. Although this isn't a Perl to Python migration title, I have included basic information on some of the differences between the two languages.

If you want a guide to programming Perl, then you're looking at completely the wrong title Ð try one of my Perl titles!!!

Pick it up, look up the feature you want to get more information on from the contents or the index, and read! The scripts and script fragments included in the book should all work without modification on your machine. Python is about 95% cross platform compatible so you shouldn't have any trouble running these scripts on any machine that supports Python.

If you want to get a copy of Python, visit the Python website at www.python.org.

Each chapter in the book attempts to cover a different aspect of the Python language is able to provide.

Section 1 covers the fundamentals of the language from a general discussions of what makes Python Python, what makes Python different from other languages like Perl through to the meat of the language. You get detailed coverage on the basic Python components, how to create functions, modules and handle exceptions, along with details on making use of Python's object orientation.

Section 2 looks at the Python standard library Ð that is all of the modules that come as standard with the Python distribution and provide the bulk of the functionality from the built-in functions through to the extensions that allow you to store information, work with files and manipulate the file system and basic networking features.

Section 3 talks about using Python for developing applications starting with a look at using Python for rapid application development and on to the tools and resources available that will make the process easier. The last chapter in this section talks about the process behind distributing applications.

Section 4 covers web development from Python. We look at the basic process of creating a Python web script, the CGI interface and then on to some of the specific libraries that help in the process. We also look at how to process different *ML technologies such as HTML and XML using Python before going over some of the web tools and applications written in Python that might help in the process.

Section 5 is a quick guide to using Python for cross platform development. Although Python hides most of the complexity of the process there are still traps that can trip up the unwary programmer.

Section 6 looks inside the Python language from a basic look at the internals of how the Python interpreter through to the methods for extending the Python library with modules written in C and how to embed the Python interpreter into your existing C applications. Along the way we look at how to debug Python scripts and optimize them for the best execution speed and at how to document and comment your code to make it more readable by you and other people.

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