Learning Python is an introduction to the increasingly popular Python programming language—an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented, and portable scripting language. This book thoroughly introduces the elements of Python: types, operators, statements, classes, functions, modules, and exceptions. It also demonstrates how to perform common programming tasks and write real applications.

The Python Developer’s Handbook is designed to expose experienced developers to Python and its uses. Beginning with a brief introduction to the language and its syntax, the book moves quickly into more advanced programming topics, including embedding Python, network programming, GUI toolkits, JPython, Web development, Python/C API, and more. Python is an interpreted, object-oriented programming language. Its syntax is simple and easy to learn, and it encourages programmers to write and think clearly. The Python Developer’s Handbook is carefully written, well-organized introduction to this powerful, fast-growing programming language for experienced developers.

This book is about using Python to get jobs done on Windows. We hope by now you have heard of Python, the exciting object-oriented scripting language that is rapidly entering the programming mainstream. Although Python is perhaps better known on the Unix platform, it offers a superb degree of integration with the Windows environment. One of us, Mark Hammond, is responsible for many of Python's Windows extensions and has coauthored the Python COM support, both of which are major topics of this book. This book can thus be considered the definitive reference to date for Python on the Windows platform.

Get ready to dive headfirst into the world of programming! "Game Programming with Python, Lua, and Ruby" offers an in-depth look at these three flexible languages as they relate to creating games. No matter what your skill level as a programmer, this book provides the guidance you need. Each language is covered in its own sectionyou'll begin with the basics of syntax and style and then move on to more advanced topics. Follow along with each language or jump right to a specific section! Similar features in Python, Lua, and Rubyincluding functions, string handling, data types, commenting, and arrays and stringsare examined. Learn how each language is used in popular game engines and projects, and jumpstart your programming expertise as you develop skills you'll use again and again!