Building Skills in Python

Table of Contents

Preface

Why Read This Book?

Audience

Organization of This Book

Limitations

Programming Style

Conventions Used in This Book

Acknowledgements

I. Language Basics

1. Background and History

History

Features of Python

Comparisons

2. Python Installation

Windows Installation

Macintosh Installation

GNU/Linux and UNIX Overview

YUM Installation

RPM Installation

"Build from Scratch" Installation

3. Getting Started

Command-Line Interaction

The IDLE Development Environment

Script Mode

Syntax Formalities

Exercises

Other Tools

Style Notes: Wise Choice of File Names

4. Simple Numeric Expressions and Output

The print Statement

Numeric Types and Operators

Numeric Conversion Functions

Built-In Functions

Expression Exercises

Expression Style Notes

5. Advanced Expressions

Using Modules

The math Module

The random Module

Advanced Expression Exercises

Bit Manipulation Operators

Division Operators

6. Variables, Assignment and Input

Variables

The Assignment Statement

Input Functions

Multiple Assignment Statement

The del Statement

Interactive Mode Revisited

Variable and Assignment Exercises

Variables and Assignment Style Notes

7. Truth, Comparison and Conditional Processing

Truth and Logic

Comparisons

Conditional Processing: the if Statement

The pass Statement

The assert Statement

The if-else Operator

Condition Exercises

Condition Style Notes

8. Looping

Iterative Processing: For All and There Exists

Iterative Processing: The for Statement

Iterative Processing: The while Statement

More Iteration Control: break and continue

Iteration Exercises

Condition and Loops Style Notes

A Digression

9. Functions

Semantics

Function Definition: The def and return Statements

Function Use

Function Varieties

Some Examples

Hacking Mode

More Features

Function Exercises

Object Method Functions

Functions Style Notes

10. Additional Notes On Functions

Functions and Namespaces

The global Statement

Call By Value and Call By Reference

Function Objects

II. Data Structures

11. Sequences: Strings, Tuples and Lists

Semantics

Overview of Sequences

Exercises

Style Notes

12. Strings

String Semantics

String Literal Values

String Operations

String Comparison Operations

String Built-in Functions

String Methods

String Modules

String Exercises

Digression on Immutability of Strings

13. Tuples

Tuple Semantics

Tuple Literal Values

Tuple Operations

Tuple Comparison Operations

Tuple Statements

Tuple Built-in Functions

Tuple Exercises

Digression on The Sigma Operator

14. Lists

List Semantics

List Literal Values

List Operations

List Comparison Operations

List Statements

List Built-in Functions

List Methods

List Exercises

15. Mappings and Dictionaries

Dictionary Semantics

Dictionary Literal Values

Dictionary Operations

Dictionary Comparison Operations

Dictionary Statements

Dictionary Built-in Functions

Dictionary Methods

Dictionary Exercises

Advanced Parameter Handling For Functions

16. Sets

Set Semantics

Set Literal Values

Set Operations

Set Comparison Operators

Set Statements

Set Built-in Functions

Set Methods

Set Exercises

17. Exceptions

Exception Semantics

Basic Exception Handling

Raising Exceptions

An Exceptional Example

Complete Exception Handling and The finally Clause

Exception Functions

Exception Attributes

Built-in Exceptions

Exception Exercises

Style Notes

A Digression

18. Generators and the yield Statement

Generator Semantics

Defining a Generator

Generator Functions

Generator Statements

Generator Methods

Generator Example

Generator Exercises

Subroutines and Coroutines

19. Files

File Semantics

Additional Background

Built-in Functions

File Methods

Several Examples

File Exercises

20. Advanced Sequences

Lists of Tuples

List Comprehensions

Sequence Processing Functions: map, filter, reduce and zip

Advanced List Sorting

Multi-Dimensional Arrays or Matrices

The Lambda

Exercises

III. Data + Processing = Objects

21. Classes

Semantics

Class Definition: the class Statement

Creating and Using Objects

Special Method Names

Some Examples

Object Collaboration

Class Definition Exercises

22. Advanced Class Definition

Inheritance

Polymorphism

Built-in Functions

Collaborating with max, min and sort

Initializer Techniques

Class Variables

Static Methods and Class Method

Design Approaches

Advanced Class Definition Exercises

Style Notes

23. Some Design Patterns

Factory Method

State

Strategy

Design Pattern Exercises

24. Creating or Extending Data Types

Semantics of Special Methods

Basic Special Methods

Special Attribute Names

Numeric Type Special Methods

Container Special Methods

Iterator Special Method Names

Attribute Handling Special Method Names

Extending Built-In Classes

Special Method Name Exercises

25. Properties and Descriptors

Semantics of Attributes

Descriptors

Properties

Attribute Access Exercises

26. Decorators

Semantics of Decorators

Built-in Decorators

Defining Decorators

Defining Complex Decorators

Decorator Exercises

27. Managing Contexts: the with Statement

Semantics of a Context

Using a Context

Defining a Context Manager Class

IV. Components, Modules and Packages

28. Modules

Module Semantics

Module Definition

Module Use: The import Statement

Finding Modules: The Path

Variations on An import Theme

The exec Statement

Module Exercises

Style Notes

29. Packages

Package Semantics

Package Definition

Package Use

Package Exercises

Style Notes

30. The Python Library

Overview of the Python Library

Most Useful Library Sections

Library Exercises

31. Complex Strings: the re Module

Semantics

Creating a Regular Expression

Using a Regular Expression

Regular Expression Exercises

32. Dates and Times: the time and datetime Modules

Semantics: What is Time?

Some Class Definitions

Creating a Date-Time

Date-Time Calculations and Manipulations

Presenting a Date-Time

Time Exercises

Additional time Module Features

33. File Handling Modules

The os.path Module

The os Module

The fileinput Module

The tempfile Module

The glob and fnmatch Modules

The shutil Module

The File Archive Modules: tarfile and zipfile

The Data Compression Modules: zlib, gzip, bz2

The sys Module

Additional File-Processing Modules

File Module Exercises

34. File Formats: CSV, Tab, XML, Logs and Others

Overview

Comma-Separated Values: The csv Module

Tab Files: Nothing Special

Property Files and Configuration (or.INI) Files: The ConfigParser Module

Fixed Format Files, A COBOL Legacy: The codecs Module

XML Files: The xml.minidom and xml.sax Modules

Log Files: The logging Module

File Format Exercises

35. Programs: Standing Alone

Kinds of Programs

Command-Line Programs: Servers and Batch Processing

The getopt Module

The optparse Module

Command-Line Examples

Other Command-Line Features

Command-Line Exercises

36. Programs: Clients, Servers, the Internet and the World Wide Web

About TCP/IP

Web Servers and the HTTP protocol

Web Services: The xmlrpclib Module

Mid-Level Protocols: The urllib2 Module

Client-Server Exercises

Socket Programming

V. Projects

37. Areas of the Flag

38. The Date of Easter

39. Musical Pitches

Equal Temperament

Overtones

Circle of Fifths

Pythagorean Tuning

Five-Tone Tuning

40. Bowling Scores

41. Mah Jongg Hands

Tile Class Hierarchy

Wall Class

Set Class Hierarchy

Hand Class

Some Test Cases

Hand Scoring - Points

Hand Scoring - Doubles

Limit Hands

42. Chess Game Notation

Algebraic Notation

Descriptive Notation

Game State

PGN Processing Specifications

Bibliography

List of Figures

16.1. Set Union, S1|S2

16.2. Set Intersection, S1&S2

16.3. Set Difference, S1-S2

16.4. Set Symmetric Difference, S2^S2

37.1. Kite and Star

List of Tables

23.1. Craps Game States

List of Examples

1. Typical Python Example

3.1. example1.py

3.2. Command Line Execution

3.3. example2.py

4.1. mixedout.py

5.1. demorandom.py

6.1. example3.py

6.2. portfolio.py

6.3. craps.py

6.4. rawdemo.py

6.5. stock.py

6.6. inputdemo.py

6.7. line.py

7.1. floatequal.py

8.1. sixodd.py

9.1. functions.py

9.2. function1.py Initial Version

9.3. badcall.py

9.4. rolldice.py

13.1. redblack.py

13.2. Python Sigma Iteration

13.3. Python Sample Values by Iterator

15.1. printFunction.py

17.1. exception1.py

17.2. exception2.py

17.3. quadratic.py

17.4. interaction.py

17.5. exception2.py

18.1. generator.py

18.2. coroutine.py

19.1. readpswd.py

19.2. readquotes.py

19.3. sortquotes.py

19.4. readportfolio.py

21.1. die.py

21.2. point.py - part 1

21.3. point.py - part 2

21.4. dice.py - part 1

22.1. crapsdice.py

22.2. hand.py

22.3. wheel.py

22.4. boat.py

22.5. wheel.py

23.1. craps.py

25.1. descriptor.py

25.2. property.py

26.1. introspection.py

26.2. trace.py

26.3. trace_user.py

26.4. debug.py

28.1. dice.py

33.1. greppy.py

33.2. readtar.py

33.3. writezip.py

33.4. compdecomp.py

34.1. readquotes2.py

34.2. readportfolio2.py

34.3. settings.py

34.4. logmodule.py

35.1. dicesim.py

36.1. webserver.py

36.2. wheelclient.py

36.3. wheelservice.py

36.4. urlreader.py

List of Equations

4.1. Scientific Notation

4.2. Convert °C (Celsius) to °F (Fahrenheit)

4.3. Convert °F (Fahrenheit) to °C (Celsius)

4.4. Mortage Payment, version 1

4.5. Mortgage, payments due at the end of each period

4.6. Mortgage, payments due at the beginning of each period

4.7. Surface Air Consumption Rate

4.8. Time and Depth from SACR

4.9. Sail Clew Load

5.1. Wind Chill

5.2. Mass of air per square meter (in Kg)

5.3. Area of a Sphere

5.4. Mass of atmosphere (in Kg)

5.5. Pressure at a given elevation

5.6. Weight of Atmosphere, adjusted for land elevation

8.1. Development Effort

8.2. Development Cost

8.3. Project Duration

8.4. Staffing

8.5. Definition of e

8.6. Definition of Factorial, n!

13.1. Mean

13.2. Standard Deviation

13.3. Basic Summation

13.4. Summation with Half-Open Interval

13.5. Summing Elements of an Array, x

21.1. Adding Fractions

21.2. Multiplying Fractions

23.1. Chi-Squared

37.1. Area of a triangle, version 1

37.2. Area of a triangle, version 2

39.1. Musical Pitches

39.2. Highest Power of 2, p ₂

39.3. First Octave Pitch