diveintopython.org
Python for experienced programmers

 

Preface

This book is not for newbies, for wimps, or For Dummies™. It assumes a lot about you.

If you're just getting started programming, that does not mean that you can't learn Python. Python is an easy language to learn, but you should probably learn it somewhere else. I highly recommend Alan Gauld's Learning to Program, and Python.org has links to other introductions to Python programming for non-programmers.

This book moves fast and explains things along the way. If you read a section and don't get it, stop and figure it out, because the next section will assume that you got it. If your Python distribution includes an IDE, have it running while you're reading. When you see examples, go type them in and see what happens. Explore beyond the examples, try variations. Programming is not a spectator sport.

Let's dive in.