You\u2019ll need to read this book when you have the following three things happening at the same time:<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll want to read this book if you are a tinkerer who likes to know how things really work. For many people, a computer is just an appliance. You may not find this satisfactory, and you want to know more. People who tinker with computers are called hackers, and you are about to join their ranks.<\/p>\n
Python is what you\u2019ve been looking for. It is an easy-to-use tool that can do any kind of processing on any kind of data. Seriously: any processing, any data. Programming is the term for setting up a computer to do the processing you define on your data. Once you learn the Python language<\/a>, you can solve your data processing problem.<\/p>\n Our objective is to get you, a non-programming newbie, up and running. When you\u2019re done with this book, you\u2019ll be ready to move on to a more advanced Python book. For example, a book about Python libraries. You can use these libraries can help you build high-quality software with a minimum of work.<\/p>\n This book is about many things. The important topics include Python<\/a>, programming, languages, data, processing, and some of the skills that make up the craft of programming. We\u2019ll talk about the core intellectual tools of abstraction, algorithms and the formality of computer languages. We\u2019ll also touch on math and logic, statistics, and casino games.<\/p>\n Python. Python is a powerful, flexible toolbox and workbench that can help solve your data processing problem. If you need to write customized software that does precisely what you want, and you want that software to be readable, maintainable, adaptable, inexpensive and make best use of your computer, you need Python.<\/p>\n Programming. When we\u2019ve written a sequence of statements in the Python language, we can then use that sequence over and over again. We can process different sets of data in a standard, automatic fashion. We\u2019ve created a program that can automate data processing tasks, replacing tedious or error-prone pointing and clicking in other software tools. Also, we can create programs that do things that other desktop tools can\u2019t do at all.<\/p>\n The big picture is this: the combination of the Python program plus a unique sequence of Python language statements<\/a> that we create can have the effect of creating a new application for our computer. This means that our application uses the existing Python program as its foundation. The Python program, in turn, depends on many other libraries and programs on your computer. The whole structure forms a kind of technology stack, with our program on top, controlling the whole assembly.<\/p>\n Languages. We\u2019ll look at three facets of a programming language: how you write it, what it means, and the additional practical considerations that make a program useful. We\u2019ll use these three concepts to organize our presentation of the language. We need to separate these concepts to assure that there isn\u2019t a lot of confusion between the real meaning and the ways we express that meaning.<\/p>\n The sentences \u201cXander wrote a tone poem for chamber orchestra\u201d and \u201cThe chamber orchestra\u2019s tone poem was written by Xander\u201d have the same meaning, but express it in different ways. They have the same semantics, but different syntax. For example, in one sentence the verb is \u201cwrote\u201d, in the other sentence it is \u201cwas written by\u201d: different forms of the verb to write. The first form is written in active voice, and the second form is called the passive voice. Pragmatically, the first form is slightly clearer and more easily understood.<\/p>\n The syntax of the Python language is covered here and in the Python Reference Manual<\/a>. Python syntax<\/a> is simple, and very much like English. We\u2019ll provide many examples of language syntax. We\u2019ll also provide additional tips and hints focused on the newbies and non-programmers. Also, when you install Python, you will also install a Python Tutorial [PythonTut] that presents some aspects of the language, so you\u2019ll have at least three places to learn syntax.<\/p>\n The semantics of the language specifies what a statement really means. We\u2019ll define the semantics of each statement by showing what it makes the Python program do to your data. We\u2019ll also be able to show where there are alternative syntax choices that have the same meaning. In addition to semantics being covered in this book, you\u2019ll be able to read about the meaning of Python statements in the Python Reference Manual, the Python Tutorial, and chapter two of the Python Library Reference<\/a>.<\/p>\n In this book, we\u2019ll try to provide you with plenty of practical advice. In addition to breaking the topic into bite-sized pieces, we\u2019ll also present lots of patterns for using Python that you can apply to real-world problems.<\/p>\n Extensions. Part of the Python technology stack are the extension libraries. These libraries are added onto Python, which has the advantage of keeping the language trim and fit. Software components that you might need for specialized processing are kept separate from the core language. Plus, you can safely ignore the components you don\u2019t need.<\/p>\n This means that we actually have two things to learn. First, we\u2019ll learn the language. After that, we\u2019ll look at a few of the essential libraries. Once we\u2019ve seen that, we can see how to make our own libraries, and our own application programs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"1.2 What Is This Book About?<\/h4>\n