Python Essential Reference, Fourth Edition

New edition of the industrys best Python reference: fully updated and easier to use than ever -Covers the significant new language features and new library modules included in Python 2.6 and 2.5 as well as new features in Python 3.0 -Now more practical than ever, reflecting the authors extensive recent experience training professional Python developers. Hailed for its conciseness and clarity, David Beazleys Python Essential Reference has long been the indispensable reference guide for every experienced programmer who wants to make the most of the Python language. Now, Beazley has thoroughly updated this classic for the significant new features and library modules that have been introduced in both Python 2.6 and 2.5 as well as features in Python 3.0. Drawing on his extensive recent experience leading Python training sessions and boot camps, Beazley has reorganized this book for even greater ease-of-use, and offers even more practical code examples that address the issues working programmers are most likely to encounter. Beazley begins with a carefully distilled and exceptionally readable introduction to the language, then presents authoritative reference content on every standard Python library module. In this edition, he also previews the anticipated, radically new Python 3 (a.k.a. Python 3000), which will break backwardcompatibility with Python 2.x. Readers will learn how to write Python 2.6 code that will be easy to migrate, and how to use Python 2.6s forward-compatibility mode to evaluate code for Python 3 compatibility.