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Has anyone been using a book they would recommend?
There are obviousoly other good ones, but I prefer O'Reilly books, and Alex
Martelli's books as far as Python is concerned.
Specifically, definitely get "Python Cookbook". It gives you lots of
practical cases, both useful in real projects and good to explain many
nuances of the language.
Since last August, when O'Reilly sent me a complimentary copy (they
published a Recipe of mine in it), it has becomen *the* reference for all my
daily Python work, much more than, say, "Programming Python 2nd ed.", that
in turn got not much wear and tear. :^(
The other obligatory Martelli Python reference is the fresh "Python in a
Nutshell", that looks really good judging by reviews and the sample chapter
on the O'Reilly site, but beware that I yet have to receive my copy.
Last, I learnt my Python on the classic "Learning Python" from Mark Lutz,
but it's kind of obsolete now, and O'Reilly has a second edition in the
works. Really good one for learning from scratch, anyway.
So, to summarize:
1) Python Cookbook: a must!
2) Programming Python 2nd ed.: probably not that useful.
3) Python in a Nutshell: probably very useful.
4) Learning Python: wait for the second edition, and probably then it won't
be needed anymore. ;^)
--
"I have learned this: if you knock at the door long enough, two things
will happen. First, your knuckles toughen up, and then the door across
the street opens. You had better be ready to make a mad dash across the
street, even if you drop your bags." Gary North